Our Inspiration
Late Shri Adikanda Kar, the inspiration behind the making of ADIRE passed away on 23 Mar 06 at the age of 84. Born an orphan and brought up in rural surroundings in Orissa, India, Shri Adikanda Kar lived in many states of India before settling in an isolated village called Jahangirabad. He always had the urge of helping the poor and the needy. Throughout his life, he fought for the rights of the poor people many a time sacrificing his personal wealth and family life.
A journalist by profession Mr. Panda now lives in Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry, India. He is instrumental for ADIRE to adopt some of the expertise and skills from Ashram's ideologies of integral development. With his advice and support, people from the villages have been undergoing various training programs related to energy efficient low cost house construction in the Earth Institute, Auroville.
An economist and electrical engineer by profession, Dr. Kar has post graduate degrees in Economics, Business Administration and Electrical Engineering. He has done intensive research in the electricity industry and has shown that rural India cannot prosper with the expensive and unreliable power grid. He wants to experimentally prove in a Ph.D. dissertation that renewable energy can accelerate rural economy for both economic independence and sustainable development without any need for long-term subsidies. He has completedhis Ph.D. in Economics from Colorado School of Mines under Professor Carol Dahl.
Our Trustees
Mr. Sarangi, an accountant by profession is currently the managing trustee of ADIRE. He supervises ADIRE's programs directly in the villages. With his amicable nature and cheerful personality he has the respect of all the villagers and ADIRE staff & volunteers.
Mr. Dash spent 30 years of his career in USA as a chartered accountant before returning to India in 1988. He has set-up a college for women in his native village in Orissa, and currently involved in various charitable and developmental work in Orissa.
Mr Naik currently a station master belongs to the village Kalyanpur. Since his childhood he is involved in many charitable work in his village.
With Information Technology and a Management background Shreemayee is currently involved with ADIRE's activities at the grass root level. She is in charge of human resource development, management and technology in ADIRE
Dr. Nanda has post graduate degree in Physics and Ph.D. in cryogenic engineering from Indian Institute of Technology. A scientist by profession she has been an advocate of women empowerment and is actively associated with many charitable, developmental activities. ADIRE's woman groups Adi'kruti and Adi'shikha were formed and are functioning with her advice and guidance.
Dr. Pati is a psychiatrist by profession and currently a trustee of ADIRE. Besides his medical profession, he is involved in various charitable activities and is the current president of Rotary Club of Cuttack midtown, Orissa. With his support and guidance and Rotary's collaboration, ADIRE has been able to carry out and implement various health care, nutrition and sanitation related activities in the villages.