Institute of International Social Development

Mr. Purshottam Kumar

PRESIDENT

Born in 1954, Mr. Purshottam Kumar graduated from St. Xavier's College and passed Masters in Commerce (MCOM) from Calcutta University. He also graduated Law and was Advocate of Calcutta High Court and various other courts of Law in India. He was with the Indian Airforce as a pilot officer before his legal profession. Presently he is a social worker.

Mr. Shomik Chaudhuri

VICE-PRESIDENT and UN Main Representative New York

Born in Kolkata 1964, Mr. Shomik Chaudhuri was educated at La Martiniere School for Boys, St. Xavier's College and Kakatiya University from where he completed his Masters degree in Commerce. He also completed courses in Marketing Management from Harvard University, and is presently completing the Certificate in Executive Leadership from Cornell University, U.S.A. From 1997 he is a permanent resident of New York where he is the Chief Operating Officer for the large media group in addition to his work with I.I.S.D. In 1995 he was selected to be the representative of the United Nations System in India to the "World Summit for Social Development" in Denmark. He co-founded I.I.S.D. in 1996. In 2001 he was conferred the "Man Of The Year 2001" by the Governing Board of Editors of the American Biographical Institute, Inc. for his accomplishments and contributions to the society. He has been making presentations at the High-Level Segment meetings and other major events regularly. He is a regular speaker at the UN and other events. He co-founded the NGO Committee on ‘Spirituality, Human Values and Global Concerns’ under CONGO at the United Nations. He is the Vice Chair of the 'Working Group on Spirituality and Business' and is promoting the importance of spirituality and values in augmenting business practices. He is the author of several articles and presentations at the United Nations and various renowned publications.

Mrs. Chaudhuri did her graduate studies from India and also completed NGO Management course from Harvard University. She was associated with the United Nations system through a UN-affiliated NGO from 1990. She co-founded Institute of International Social Development, an NGO, in 1996 and played a major role in the organization being conferred Special Consultative Status with ECOSOC of the United Nations in 2000, within four years of its inception. She spearheaded the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of the UN at the grass-root level, prioritizing poverty alleviation programs through global partnerships to relieve the marginalized people from the scrooge of poverty and deprivation. From ethical living to prevent spread of HIV/AIDS to sustainable livelihood, she managed to formulate, execute and keep an oversight on the implementation and later draw feedback over the years with success. She was conferred various honors at the United Nations over the years. She was recently offered to stand for Member of Parliament by the people from the grass-root level which was an enriching experience.