Humanitarian Relief for the Citymakers: Expanding the Reach in Times of COVID-19

Balwant Singh Mehta holds a Ph.D. in development economics from Jamia Millia Islamia University. He is presently working as a visiting faculty at Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI) and is a Fellow at the Institute for Human Development, Delhi. He has written five books and contributed over four dozen articles in reputed national and international journals on employment, inequality, poverty, child well-being, and information and communication technology on development/human development related issues. He has received several national and international awards and fellowships for his academic work such as Amy Mahan International Fellow from UPF (Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Spain; Research Fellowship from SIRCA (Singapore Internet Research Centre), Singapore; Emerging Researcher from IDRC (International Development Research Centre), Canada, and Post-Doctoral Fellowship from ICSSR (Indian Council of Social Science Research), New Delhi, India. He also writes in magazines, blogs, and newspapers on contemporary issues.

Simi Mehta is the Chief Executive Officer and Editorial Director of the Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI), New Delhi. She holds a Ph.D. in American Studies from the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), and has been a Fulbright Fellow at the Ohio State University. She is also a Fellow at the Kalinga Institute for Indo Pacific Studies (KIIPS). Her areas of research include agriculture and foreign policies of the US and India, international security studies, sustainable development, climate change, gender justice, urbanization, and food security.

Arjun Kumar is the Director of the Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI), New Delhi. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from the Centre for the Study of Regional Development, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. With training in development economics, he has a specialization in econometrics and the use of statistical software to crunch big data. He has been a Visiting Faculty at the Institute for Human Development (IHD) and has been associated with many think tanks and research institutes. He has also taught economics at the University of Delhi. His research interests are in housing, basic amenities, urban and regional research, gender justice, sustainable development and, data and research methods. He has several publications to his name and experience of being involved in research projects of international and national repute.

Indu Prakash Singh is Mentor at IMPRI. He is Member of the State Level Shelter Monitoring Committee for Progress of Shelter for Urban Homeless in Delhi, appointed by the Government of NCT of Delhi on the Orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.