M.A. (Political Science), Allahabad University, Allahabad
M.Phil. (Political Studies), Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
PhD (Political Studies), SOAS, London University, London
Adult Education & Lifelong Learning; Development Education; Citizenship Education & Global Citizenship; Education, Democracy & Social Transformation; Literacy, Mass Education and Public Policy; Community Development and Participatory Development; Poverty and Inclusive Development; Pedagogical and socio-cultural intervention in (Adult) Education and Development.
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Current Position: Professor, Group of Adult Education), School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi India (since 2009)
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Member, International Editorial Board, International Journal of Development Education and Global Learning (University College London), (since 2008)
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Member-Secretary, JNU's Community Engagement Cell (CEC), University's flagship community outreach initiative, April 2015 to July 2016
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Director, Group of Adult Education, JNU, New Delhi, Jan. 2015 to April 2017
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Coordinator, ‘Emotional Well-being’ programme and ‘One-on-One Counseling Service’ for JNU students, Jan. 2009 to Dec. 2012
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Associate Professor, Group of Adult Education, JNU, New Delhi, Aug. 2006 to July 2009)
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Reader (Associate Professor), G.B. Pant Social Science Institute (a constituent unit of Allahabad University), Allahabad, 1999 to 2006
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Research Associate (Lecturer), G.B. Pant Social Science Institute (an ICSSR institute), Allahabad 1998-1999
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Ad-hoc Lecturer, Kirori Mal College, Delhi University, 1991-92
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Ad-hoc Lecturer, Satyawati Co-Educational College, Delhi University, 1990-91
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Assistant, D/O Education, MHRD, GoI, Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi, 1987-1989
Experience as Member of Varioius Boards
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Advisory Board Member, University of Education, Weingarten, Germany (since May 2024)
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Member, Doctoral Advisory Committee (DAC), Centre for Lifelong Learning, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai (since May 2025)
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Executive Committee Member, Indian Adult Education Association, New Delhi (since May 2025)
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Advisory Board Member, National Coalition for Education (NCE), New Delhi (since 2010)
Experience of Research Projects and Consultancy
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Principal Investigator & Director, Rural Hybrid Energy Enterprise Systems (RHEES): Bridging the Urban–Rural Divide (BURD) — UK–India collaborative sustainable energy project (2013–18), valued at approximately £4 million, with a JNU component of ₹49 lakh
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Chief Consultant, Fair Trade Forum (India): Led a nationwide baseline study on Impact of Fair Trade Association and Adherence on Producer Groups in India (2008)
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Principal Investigator, IND–US Child Labour Project: Government of India–US Department of Labor–ILO collaborative project; prepared a comprehensive baseline report (2004)
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Project Director, ILO–IPEC International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour: Led monitoring, evaluation, training, community mobilisation and rehabilitation initiatives (2001–03)
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Principal Investigator, World Bank-supported Evaluation of Community Libraries in Rural Uttar Pradesh, under the Education for All (EFA) initiative (1999).
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Visiting Professor, Julius-Maximilians University of Würzburg, Germany (Winter, 2015).
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Commonwealth Fellowship, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, United Kingdom (1993–1996).
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University Grants Commission (UGC) Junior and Senor Fellowship (1989–1993).
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Kumar, A. 2025. Swami Vivekanand and Paulo Freire as Transformative World Educators, in Zeitschrift fur International Bildungsforschung und Entwicklungspadagogik 48. Jarang, Heft 2, S, Univ. of Bamberg Press
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Kumar, A. 2025. ‘Adult Education, Mass literacy and Technological Imperatives for a Competitive India’, YATI: The Journal of Interdisciplinary Thought and Initiatives, Vol. 1, No. 1, Summer
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Kumar, A. 2016/2017. Chapter, titled, ‘Globales Lernen in Indien’ In: Lang-Wojtasik, Gregor/Klemm, Ulrich (Hg.): Handlexikon Globales Lernen. Münster/Ulm: Klemm + Oelschläger [Global (Cosmopolitan Dialogical) Learning in India. In Pocket Encyclopedia Global Learning. Muenster & Ulm: Klemm & Oelschlaeger
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Kumar, A. 2012. ‘Discourse Sentience Vs Discourse Complexity’, book review of School Education, Pluralism and Marginality: Comparative Perspectives, Christine Slatter, et al., The Book Review, Vol. XXXVI, No. 9
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Kumar, A. 2011. ‘Quality of Public Life, Democracy and Values Education in Globalizing India’. Chapter in the book titled, Schooling Stratification and Inclusion: Some Reflections on the Sociology of Education, edited by Yogendra Singh, published by NCERT, New Delhi.
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Kumar, A. 2009. ‘Mass Literacy for India, the Emerging Superpower’ in Indian Journal of Adult Education, Vol. 70, No. 4, October-December
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Kumar, A. 2008. ‘Development Education and Dialogical Learning in the 21st Century’ (pp. 37-48), in International Journal of Development Education and Global Learning, Vol. 1, Issue 1, (an International refereed journal of Institute of Education, University College of London
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Kumar, A. 2006. ‘Deprivation, Socialization and Learning among Children’ (Chapter 6) in D.M. Diwakar & G.P. Mishra (eds.), Deprivation and Inclusive Development, Manak Publications, Delhi
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Kumar, A. 2005. ‘Language and Mass Literacy: Some Comparative Rural-Urban Contexts’, Chapter published in Alan Rogers edited book titled, Urban Literacy: Communication, Identity and Learning in Development Contexts, UNESCO Institute for Education, Hamburg, Germany.
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Kumar, A. 2004. ‘Institutionalizing lifelong learning: creating conducive environments for adult learning in the Asian context’, book review, International Journal of Educational Development, 24, Elsevier www.elsevier.com/locate/ijedudev
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Kumar, A. 2003. ‘Urban Literacies and Livelihoods’, a feature report on an International seminar held in New Delhi (11-13 December 2002) published in the international journal titled, EducationAction, Issue 17, Action Aid, London
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Kumar, A. 2002. 'Dimensions of Corruption and the Civil Society in India’, ed. by Janak Pandey, Social Development, APH Publishing, New Delhi, 371-376
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Kumar, A. 2002. 'Children's Rights: The Cultural and Semiotic Unfamiliarity’, ed. by Janak Pandey, Social Development, APH Publishing, New Delhi, 69-74
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Kumar, A. 2002. 'Development-Education: An Entrepreneur's Agenda For Training, Education and Research’, in Janak Pandey edited book, Social Development, APH Publishing, New Delhi, 45-56.
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Kumar, A. 2025. Swami Vivekanand and Paulo Freire as Transformative World Educators, in Zeitschrift fur International Bildungsforschung und Entwicklungspadagogik 48. Jarang, Heft 2, S, Univ. of Bamberg Press
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Kumar, A. 2025. ‘Adult Education, Mass literacy and Technological Imperatives for a Competitive India’, YATI: The Journal of Interdisciplinary Thought and Initiatives, Vol. 1, No. 1, Summer
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Kumar, A. 2016/2017. Chapter, titled, ‘Globales Lernen in Indien’ In: Lang-Wojtasik, Gregor/Klemm, Ulrich (Hg.): Handlexikon Globales Lernen. Münster/Ulm: Klemm + Oelschläger [Global (Cosmopolitan Dialogical) Learning in India. In Pocket Encyclopedia Global Learning. Muenster & Ulm: Klemm & Oelschlaeger
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Kumar, Ajay. (Forthcoming in next 3-4 months). Chapter, titled, ‘Dialogical Learning’, in Encyclopedia of Social Justice in Education, Edited by A. Pasha and D. Bourn, Editor in Chief, Maisha T Winn & Lawrence T Winn, to be published by Bloomsbury, USA