Rakendu S
Research Scholar
Ashank Desai Centre for Policy Studies, IIT Bombay
Research Scholar
Ashank Desai Centre for Policy Studies, IIT Bombay
Professional Experience
2023-2024 | Deputy team lead, "Impact assessment of waste to energy plants under smart cities mission" - Project by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and IIT Bombay
Led the project planning, conducted fieldwork, data collection and analysis and prepared the final report. The report, which includes suggestions and recommendations for policymakers, has been submitted to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and is currently under review for publication.
2022 (Ongoing) | Teaching Assistant for the Course Social Science Perspectives in Public Policy
2022 (Ongoing) | Core Team Member, Living Lab Alleppey, an initiative of IIT Bombay
Engaged in the planning and implementation of participatory action research in municipal solid waste management in Alappuzha, Kerala and Begusarai, Bihar
2023 | Honorary Consultant, “Towards Circular Economy in Municipal Solid Waste Management in Begusarai District, Bihar”- Project by IIT Bombay and Tecnimont
Involved in project planning, capacity-building activities, and field work for data collection and analysis
2021-2022 | Research Fellow, National Rural Livelihoods Mission, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India
Analyzed the techno-economic viability of plastic waste management units run by Self Help Groups
Captured possible risks involved in the model and identified required action plan
Developed indicators to monitor the functioning of plastic waste management units run by Self Help Groups
Possibility analysis on the convergence of government schemes and programs facilitating livelihood promotion in the waste management sector
2020-2022 | Honorary Consultant, Research for Development Programme funded by Swiss National Science Foundation
Two working papers (yet to be published) in the project, “Challenges of municipal solid waste management: Learning from post-crisis governance initiatives in South Asia”
Presented the work in a conference conducted by Ashank Desai Centre for Policy Studies in collaboration with University of Lousanne, Switzerland and IDS Sussex, UK on ‘Deepening local governance for sustainable management of solid and liquid waste’.
Published short articles for broader dissemination of research findings through different online platforms, Life of waste and Towards Brown Gold
2017-2019 | Junior Telecommunications Officer, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited
Led a team of 12 employees including a junior engineer and 6 telecom technicians
In charge of operation and maintenance of an exchange with around 3500 live telephone and broadband connections
Ensured better service to the BSNL customers in the service area that comes under the telephone exchange
Won the award for best marketing employee consecutively for three quarterly in a year (2018-19)
Contributed to the BSNL project in association with Kerala Police force in providing hotline facility to senior citizens of Kottayam district, which helped in outreach to police control room for emergency help
Education
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Prime Minister's Research Fellow | Ashank Desai Centre for Policy Studies, IIT Bombay | 2022- Ongoing
M. Tech in Technology and Development | Centre for Technology Alternatives for Rural Areas, IIT Bombay | 2019-2021
B. Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering | Government Engineering College, Thrissur, Kerala | 2012-2016