Professional Curriculum Vitae
Dr. Alok Kumar Bhuwan
Rehabilitation Specialist | Social Architect | Policy Advocate
Professional Profile
A visionary leader with over 30 years of transformative experience in disability rights, special education, and social rehabilitation. Dr. Bhuwan emerges not merely as an organizational leader but as a pivotal socio-political actor whose career encapsulates the shift from a charity-based model to a Rights-Based Paradigm grounded in constitutional guarantees.
His work represents a distinct "Hybrid Model" of social entrepreneurship, fusing indigenous spiritual lineages with modern bureaucratic compliance (ISO, FCRA, RCI). As the founder of Manovikas Charitable Society, he has constructed an institutional ecosystem that bridges the gap between grassroots habilitation and high-level policy advocacy.
Core Competencies
- Strategic Leadership: Institution Building, NGO Management (ISO 9001).
- Inclusive Innovation: Higher Education for IDD (Think College).
- Policy Advocacy: RPWD Act 2016 Implementation.
- Rehabilitation: Vocational Training (NSQF), Early Intervention.
Professional Experience
- Institutional Leadership: Built a comprehensive ecosystem impacting 25,000+ lives across 21 states, focusing on Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities (IDD).
- Innovation (Think College): Pioneered "Think College," India’s first higher education initiative for young adults with IDD, creating pathways to diploma courses.
- Corporate Inclusion: Developed the "Community to Corporate" model (recognized by TATA SABAL Award 2025), bridging the gap between trained youth and mainstream employment.
- Self-Advocacy: Founded Manbhavan Mitr Mandali, empowering persons with disabilities to vote, lead, and make autonomous decisions.
- Chairperson: Federation of Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals (FVRP).
- Academic Committee Member: National Institute for Locomotor Disabilities (NILD), Kolkata.
- Editor-in-Chief: Pragya International Journal of Developmental Science and Inclusion.
- Advisor: To various Ministries, Departments, and International Organizations on disability policy.
Awards & Recognition
- 2025: 5th SABAL Award (TATA Group) – For excellence in disability empowerment & skill development.
- 2024: 10th National Gaurav Award – Awarded at Bharat Mandapam for lifetime contribution to social service.
- 2023: Bihar Gaurav & Delhi Gaurav Awards – Recognizing tireless advocacy in multiple states.
- 2021: Rastriy Prernadoot Award – "National Messenger of Inspiration" for humanitarian work.
- 2016: Prime Minister’s Appreciation – For contributions to national disability inclusion.
- 2014: SPANDAN Award ("Best Professional") – National Trust (Ministry of Social Justice).
- 2014: SKOCH Order of Merit – For innovation in governance and inclusion.
Education & Credentials
Publications & Research
- Overview: 50+ papers, books, and articles published in national and international journals.
- Key Tool: "Empowering Independence: Developing a Self-Determination Assessment Tool and Self-Advocacy Curriculum for IDD."
- Research: Developed the "Self-Determination Scale" for persons with IDD.
- Journal Paper: "Assessment of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 in India" (IJFMR).
Global Engagement
- UNESCO, Paris: Invited speaker on "Vedic Dance and Music Therapy" as a tool for inclusion.
- Japan: Selected for the "Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment of PWDs" Exchange Program.
- USA: Training in Special Education, Autism, and Self-Advocacy models.
Legacy & Philosophy
Lineage: Descendant of the 8th-century philosopher Mandan Mishra (contemporary of Adi Shankaracharya).
Inspiration: Son of the late Vaidya Pandit Kailash Mishra ("Deenbandhu"), carrying forward the legacy of Sewa (Service).
"Inclusion is not charity. Inclusion is a right."