Board Members

Dr. Kaval Gulhati
Founder Member & Chairperson - BETI Foundation
Dr. Kaval Gulhati – President and Chair-Unniti Foundation, Founding Board Member and current Chairperson is a senior Population and Development Specialist with more than 30 years of experience in Health, Demography, Institutional Development, Training, Project design, Management and implementation. She has expertise in organizational development, having successfully co-founded and served as President and CEO of CEDPA in Washington, D.C. Dr. Gulhati's work and achievements related to rights based development specially Women Rights, Social Philanthropy and academic excellence, are valued and acknowledged both at the National and International levels. At present, she is the President and Chairperson of the Unniti Foundation.

Ms Sehba Hussain
Founder Member & Secretary
Executive Director - BETI Foundation
Ms.Sehba Hussain, Founding Board member and head of the BETI Foundation, Former Chief of UNICEF, Bhutan. Ms. Hussain has worked with UNICEF for nearly 17 years, both as an International and National professional. She is a human rights activist, firmly believing in the merits of Community Driven Development for which she has worked for more than thirty years. Ms. Hussain is also the Co-founder of SEWA, Lucknow alongwith Ms. Runa Banerjee. Ms. Hussain was also a member of the National Advisory Council set up under the Chairpersonship of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi (in 2004 under the previous UPA Government) as an interface with Civil Society in regard to the implementation of the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP) of the Government of India.

Ms Runa Banerjee
Treasurer - BETI Foundation
Ms. Runa Bannerjee - CEO SEWA - Lucknow, well known for her work in organizing women of the most marginalized sections of society and providing them a strong platform for economic and social development, where women participate with equity and dignity. SEWA, Lucknow is organized as a successful, self-reliant organization working for and achieving success in its work on women's rights. Ms. Banerjee was awarded the Yash Bharti Award, exceptionally one of the highest State awards in the country. This was for her outstanding work on women’s rights. In 2007 Ms. Banerjee was awarded the prestigious Padma Shri Awar.

Professor Ashish Shukla
Board Member & Legal Counsel - BETI Foundation
Legal Counsel: Mr. Ashish Shukla is an eminent lawyer and Human Rights activist of Lucknow. Apart from being an Advocate in the High Court, Mr. Shukla has been associated with some prominent cases related to human rights violation. He is also teaching Law at the University of Lucknow and has been associated with the setting up of the Law Institute in Bhopal, Central India. Professor Shukla has been a representative from U.P. and India in several Regional and International Forums related to Policy Advocacy for Human Rights.

Mr. Cyril Raphael
Board Member- BETI Foundation
Member: Mr. Cyril Raphael, the Secretary & Chief Functionary/Chief Programme Coordinator of RACHNA, Shri Bhuveneshwari Mahila Ashram, Dehradun has an experience of 30 years in management responsibility- personal, organizational, operational, commercial, project planning, implementation, monitoring & evaluation. Mr. Raphael has developed AKASHIA in Rock Creek B.C. Canada, a commune for alternate lifestyle. He specializes in Performer & Production Management, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – Toronto, Canada and is also the Founder of the Mountain Children Foundation.

Dr E S Charles
Board Member, BETI Foundation
Member: Dr. E.S. Charles is an eminent academician, being Principal & Hony. President of the reputed Isabella Thoburn College, Lucknow. Having devoted around 36 years of service to the Institution she has carried out Post Doctoral Research work on Synthesis of Steroidal Compounds at the Chemistry Department, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany. Her inventory of laurels includes several National & International Memberships such as Board of Governors – Institute of Psychological & Educational Measurements, Allahabad, U.P, India, Governing Body –Action Ministries, Ethics Committee, (S.G.P.G.I.M.S.) Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, U.P, India, Education Committee & Executive Council, World Methodist Conference & International Partnership Service Program (IPSL Programs). Dr. Charles has played an important role in the field of education through active & responsible representation in ‘Educational Institutions as agents of Transformative Education with special reference to Gender’ & ‘New Initiatives in Creating Human Resource excellence through education’ at Isabella Thoburn College & in the Conference "Minority Rights and Responsibilities in Education" organized by AIACHE.

Ms. Rekha Krishnan
Board Member - BETI Foundation
Member: Ms. Rekha Krishnan is Principal of the reputed Vasant Valley School, New Delhi which is promoted by the renowned India Today Group. After joining the school as a teacher for History she worked in the capacity of Academic Coordinator and was thereafter appointed as the Principal in September 2006. Amongst her many accomplishments is a a Masters degree in Science of Education from Annenberg School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA. Ms. Krishnan has attended a summer course at the Principals Center of the Harvard Graduate School of Education on “Improving Schools– The Art of Leadership”. She has also pursued a programme in School Administration from Northwestern University where the topic of her dissertation was, “Robust adult relationships - impact on student learning and school improvement’. She has received an International Fellowship at the Abshire Inamori Leadership Academy, Washington DC & has been a Resource Person for the CCE Examination Reform Advocacy Programme in 2009. Ms. Krishnan has devoted more than two decades of her life to the field of education. An important part of her job has been to help in creating an environment along with other teachers of her team where each child learns and reaches her / his zone of proximal development.