Jayapadma R V
Areas of Interest & Expertise
- Strategic interventions of development organisations
- Local governance and community led institutions
- Gender and development
- Sustainable development
Biography
Jayapadma has thirty years of experience in social development practice, and has over these years worked with community-based organisations, bilateral aid, corporate social responsibility initiatives, and academic and research institutions. Notable among her organisation affiliations are Gram Vikas ‑Odisha, Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation, InterGlobe Foundation, South Asia Women Foundation India, Institute of Rural Management — Anand, Indian Institute of Management – Udaipur, TERI School of Advanced Studies, and Rajghat Besant School.
She brings expertise in gender-responsive and inclusive development, results-based management, and systems thinking, with sectoral experience across education, health, livelihoods, natural resource management, habitat development, and local governance. Her research and writing engage with questions of just, equitable, sustainable, and community-centred development.
Jayapadma is an alumnus of the Institute of Rural Management, — Anand and a Chevening Scholar. She serves on the governing board of several Indian non-government organisations.
At the university she is associated with the School of Continuing Education — University Resource Centre.
Publications
Books
- Vikram Singh Mehta, Neelima Khetan and Jayapadma RV. 2022. “Anchoring Change: Seventy-Five Years of Grassroots Interventions That Made a Difference” Harper Collins. https://harpercollins.co.in/product/anchoring-change/
- Jayapadma RV. 2025. Joe@Mohuda: A Book of Friends – Journey on the Road Less Travelled, Gram Vikas. https://www.gramvikas.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Joe-Madiath-Book-of-Friends.pdf
Journal articles
- RV Jayapadma. 2009. “Dimensions, manifestations and perceptions of gender equity – experiences of Gram Vikas, Orissa”. In Development in Practice, Volume 19, Number 2, pp.148 – 159, April 2009. https://doi.org/10.1080/09614520802689410
- RV, Jayapadma, et Liby T Johnson. 2003. “Créer des espaces de changement des relations de genre dans les communautés rurales patriarcales en Orissa”. In Christine Verschuur et Fenneke Reysoo, Genre, pouvoirs et justice sociale, Cahiers Genre et Développement, n°4, Genève, Paris : EFI/AFED, L’Harmattan, 2003, pp. 227 – 234. https://books.openedition.org/iheid/5680 / DOI : 10.4000/books.iheid.5680
Chapters in edited books
- Neelima Khetan and Jayapadma R V. 2023. “Putting Social Justice on the CSR Agenda”. In A New Era of Giving – Reflections on Philanthropy for Social Justice, ISDM Centre for Philanthropy for Inclusive Development. https://ekam.isdm.org.in/dm/a‑new-era-of-giving/
- Jayapadma R V. 2005. “Gram Vikas Housing Program – Orissa”. In Participatory Rural Habitat Processes; Emerging Trends, Vol 1, Development Alternatives and Building Social Housing Foundation, UK
- Joe Madiath and Jayapadma RV. 2002. “Strengthening India’s Villages the Sustainable Way” In A Common Cause — NGOs and Civil Society, National Foundation for India
Study report
- Jayapadma RV and Chetan Agarwal (Nous Consultants), 2025, Enabling Autonomy: Gram Vikas’ Role in Nurturing Self Managed Systems, Gram Vikas. https://www.gramvikas.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Enabling-Autonomy-Full-Report.pdf
Articles
- Jayapadma RV. 2022. “The joys of teaching and learning together”, Teacher Plus https://www.teacherplus.org/the-joys-of-teaching-and-learning-together/
- Jayapadma RV. 2021. “A mirror to education in our times”, Teacher Plus https://www.teacherplus.org/a‑mirror-to-education-in-our-times/
- Jayapadma RV. 2021. “Connecting with nature in a virtual learning mode, Teacher Plus http://www.teacherplus.org/connecting-with-nature-in-a-virtual-learning-mode/
- Jayapadma RV. 2020. “What about waste?” India Development Review https://idronline.org/what-about-waste/
- Jayapadma RV. 2019. Building partnerships and pooling resources for development. Alliance Magazine https://www.alliancemagazine.org/blog/building-partnerships-and-pooling-resources-for-development/
- Jayapadma RV. 2019. “Participation key to empowering Juang tribes” Village Squarehttps://www.villagesquare.in/2019/01/30/participation-key-to-empowering-juang-tribes/
- Joe Madiath and Jayapadma. 2005. “What makes Gram Vikas entrepreneurial” Alliance Magazinehttps://www.alliancemagazine.org/feature/what-makes-gram-vikas-entrepreneurial/