Dr. Ruchi Badola (Scientist-G and Principal Investigator)

E-mail:- ruchi[at]wii[dot]gov[dot]in

Dr. Ruchi Badola works as a Scientist G at the Wildlife Institute of India, with the Department of Eco-Development Planning and Participatory Management. She studies human dimensions of biodiversity conservation and works closely with park-dependent communities and Indian policymakers to frame conservation solutions that make sense in the context of both local and global challenges including ecosystem service valuation, resource extraction, deforestation and other cultural practices that come into conflict with state-led conservation objectives. She specializes in community/stakeholder participation in biodiversity conservation; ecological economics; assessment of ecosystem services; sustainable livelihood; and gender issues in conservation. She is an internationally recognized scholar and is the author several peer-reviewed papers. At the international level she contributes to the Hindu Kush Himalayan Monitoring and Assessment Programme (HIMAP) and The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Assessments as Coordinating Lead Author and Lead Author respectively.

Dr. Syed Ainul Hussain (Project Manager )

E-mail:- hussain[at]wii[dot]gov[dot]in

Dr. Syed Ainul Hussain joined the Wildlife Institute of India as a research fellow in 1986 and worked with the Chambal Aquatic Species Conservation Project. Subsequently, he obtained M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees in wildlife sciences from the Centre for Wildlife and Ornithology, Aligarh Muslim University. He joined the Institute in 1994 as faculty and has been looking after the Wetlands and Coastal Habitat Management and Aquatic Species Conservation Program. He develops and implements courses related to wetlands and coastal habitat management, and wildlife and protected area management. He identifies and prioritizes areas for conservation at the landscape level, including prioritization of trans-boundary protected areas. His special interests include wildlife ecology, mountain ecosystem services and protected area management. He is working with the Otter Specialist Group as Focal, Red List Authority. He is a member of the World Commission on Protected Areas and the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group. He took part in the XV Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica, during 1996–97, and is currently a member of the Government of India’s core group on Antarctic and Southern Ocean research. He has specialization in Wetlands and coastal habitat management; mountain ecosystem services; small carnivore ecology and conservation; management of small populations; protected area management.

Dr. Sangeeta Angom (Project Scientist & Training Coordinator)

E-mail:- sangeeta[at]wii[dot]gov[dot]in, sangeetaangom[at]gmail[dot]com

I completed my Masters Degree in Zoology with specialization in “Cell and Molecular Genetics” from School of studies in Zoology, Jiwaji University, Gwalior (MP) in the year 2002 with a distinction certificate. Soon after, I pursued a Diploma Course in Environmental Law from WWF-India in 2003. Thereafter, I served as a Lecturer in Liberal College, Imphal from February, 2004 to December, 2004. I worked as a Research Fellow at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun from 2004-10 in the Project titled “Conservation Ecology of Sangai (Rucervus eldii eldii) and its wetland habitat” in Manipur. I received Rufford Grant Award for executing a conservation project titled “Conserving the endemic Manipur Brow-antlered deer in Keibul Lamjao National Park, North Eastern India (2011-12). In 2013 I was awarded Doctoral Degree from Saurashtra University; Rajkot in Wildlife Sciences, my research topic was “Demographic status and genetic variation of Sangai in Keibul Lamjao National Park”. I had also worked as Assistant Professor for 4 years (2013-16) in colleges affiliated to Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Central University, Srinagar, Gharwal, Uttarakhand. I joined Wildlife Institute of India (WII) as Project Scientist and Training Coordinator in National Mission For Clean Ganga (NMCG) – WII Project “Biodiversity and Ganga Conservation”under the Component-3 (Capacity Building of Forest Departments and other Stakeholders) on 5th May, 2017.

Rahul Gupta (Training Assistant)

I joined Wildlife Institute of India as Accounts Officer in 2017 under the project entitled ‘Biodiversity Conservation and Rural Livelihood Implementation’. After successful completion of the project, I joined the trans boundary project between India and Nepal on Tiger monitoring in collaboration with Zoological society of London-UKFD-WII and got a vast experience of official work. By conducting international workshops/ meetings at MoEFCC, I also got experience of administrative works. Further, in 2020 I joined WII-National Mission for Clean Ganga Project as Training Assistant with a goal of achieving the targets and learning from the experienced scientists and dedicated myself to work for MAA GANGA.

Ashmika Aggarwal (Project Assistant)

E-mail:-ashmika[at]wii[dot]gov[dot]in

I did my Graduation in Physics, Chemistry, Math from DAV PG College and Post-Graduation in Cellulose and Paper Technology from Forest Research Institute of India, Dehradun (2018- 2020). I joined Wildlife Institute of India as an intern (2021) in the WII-NMCG project. Later, I got recruited as Project Assistant under Component-2 (Capacity Building of Forest Departments and other Stakeholders). Through this programme I got opportunities to interact with Ganga Praharis and other Stakeholders of the Ganga River, where I mainly working on designing posters, various outdoor and indoor activities for school children under the Bal Ganga Praharis Programme.

Simran Aggarwal (Project Assistant) 

E-mail:-simran[at]wii[dot]gov[dot]in, simranaggarwal67547[at]gmail[dot]com

I completed my Graduation from HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar Uttarakhand in 2019. I have done my Post Graduation in Biotechnology from Graphic Era Deemed to be University, Dehradun Uttarakhand in 2021. In my master’s dissertation, I studied the ‘Genetic Diversity and Phylogeographic structure of Striped hyena in India”. I worked as a Project Intern at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun from August 2021 to May 2022 in the Project titled “All India Tiger Estimation Exercise” (AITEE). Soon after, I joined the Wildlife Institute of India as a Project Assistant in NMCG-WII Project ‘Planning and management for aquatic species conservation and maintenance of ecosystem services in the Ganga River basin for Clean Ganga’ under Component-2 (Capacity Building of Forest Departments and other Stakeholders) on 1st June 2022.

Sheetal Pal (Project Assistant)

E-mail:-sheetalpal16[at]gmail[dot]com

I have completed my M.Sc. in Zoology (Specialization in Wildlife) from Mohanlal Sukhadiya University, Udaipur, Rajasthan. After that, I joined IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Mandi, Himachal Pradesh for an M.Tech. Biotechnology Programme. I also cleared GATE-XL (Life Science) 2020, 2021, 2022 and Gujarat SET-2022 for Assistant Professor. I also have 8 years of NEET - Biology teaching experience. I joined the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) as Project Assistant in Capacity Building of Forest Departments and other Stakeholders under NMCG-WII Project in June 2022. My work in this project involves with the school students and Ganga Praharis, for the protection of Ganga and its biodiversity via various training activities and workshops as well as leading the "Catch the Rain" campaign in Ganga Basin for water conservation.

Ms. Aarti Chauhan (Project Assistant)

E-mail:-aartichauhan[at]wii[dot]gov[dot]in, aartichauhan14051998[at]gmail[dot]com

I completed my bachelor's in science from DAV PG College, Dehradun in the year 2020. Thereafter, I did a diploma course in information technology i.e. (DIT) from Lal Bahadur Shastri Training Institute, Dehradun. I joined the Wildlife Institute of India in the NMCG project, as an intern in the Component-2 (Capacity Building of Forest Departments and other Stakeholders) in July 2021. Currently, I am working as a Project Assistant in the WII-NMCG Project ‘Planning and management for aquatic species conservation and maintenance of ecosystem services in the Ganga River basin for Clean Ganga’.

Mohd Danish Kaleem (Project Assistant)

E-mail:-danish[at]wii[dot]gov[dot]in, danishkaleem6[at]gmail[dot]com

I completed my Graduation from Integral University, Lucknow in the year 2020 where I studied Environmental Science (Hons). I did my Masters from Ambedkar Central University, Lucknow from the School of Earth and Environmental Science with specialization in Environmental Science. There after I completed a project entitled ‘A Novel Approach for the production of thermocol like product from Rice Stubble (Parali), which was funded by SIIC (Startup Incubation and Innovation Cell) IIT, Kanpur. I have also worked as an Intern at Water Aid India, Lucknow. I joined Wildlife Institute of India as a Project Assistant in the WII-NMCG project under the Component-2 (Capacity Building of Forest Departments and other Stakeholders) on 7th November, 2022.