OUR TEAM

Nithya V Raman, Project Director
Master in City Planning from M.I.T., USA

I started this project and continue to lead the team. In my prior experience, good citizen participation in planning requires better, easy to understand information which Transparent Chennai strives to provide.

I can be reached through the CDF office main number.

Somya Sethuraman, Research
M.Sc. Economics, Madras School of Economics, Anna University; Member, Steering Committee: Urban Water Supply and Sanitation, TN State Planning Commission

I love Transparent Chennai because of its potential to bring about path breaking change in the planning and functioning of the city. I extend research support to the team, and lead our sanitation research. I am writing the Tamil Nadu State Urban Sanitation Policy with the Commissionerate of Municipal Administration, Government of Tamil Nadu.

Email: somya.sethuraman@ifmr.ac.in

Prabu Raja, Website Development
B.E in Electronics

I provide technological support to the TC team. Mapping is one of the most effective ways to communicate an idea. I convert the research done by the team into exciting and visually appealing maps.
Email: prabu.r@ifmr.ac.in

Muthukumaran, Website Development
B.E in Computer Science Engineering

I am the web designer for TC and provide critical inputs towards the overall look of the website including the banner, widgets and the platform through which ideas are disseminated.
Email: muthukumaran.k@ifmr.ac.in

Siddharth Hande, Research Consultant
Final Year, Masters in Environment and Sustainability, Monash University, Australia

The primary reason I began interning at TC was to help Reclaim Our Beaches provide a stronger proposal to the corporation on the need for dustbins and toilets on Elliots Beach. That led to another project (which is leading to another one… and perhaps another one?) and this is cool because it is indicative of the lack of information in this city that concerned citizens and organizations need to make better claims of the government- which is precisely what TC is trying to rectify.

Roshan Toshniwal, Research Consultant
Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from CEPT University, Ahmedabad.

I have been enthralled by the way TC represents data and research by ways of maps and graphics. I define it as a “one stop information centre” for all the issues related to Governance and Infrastructure in the city. I am acitvely involved with mapping and researching pedestrian issues in the city and the outreach activity for TC.

INTERNS

Muthukrishnan Kalyanaraman, Intern
M.sc ( Information Technology) from University of Madras
I find the concept of Transparent Chennai very interesting. As an intern, I have been actively involved in Geographic Information System (GIS) related support activities for the team.

PAST EMPLOYEES

Akshai Abraham, Project Management
MBA from IIFM, Bhopal
I have been part of this project since its conceptualization days to its current form. I lead the development side of the project and contribute a bit towards research. I believe that information in the right form leads to empowerment which leads to development. TC has immense potential to bring about change in the city and it is towards this aim that I love working on this project. (Akshai continues to be a “friend” of TC and supports all our initiatives).
Email: akshai.abraham@ifmr.ac.in

Meryl Mary Sebastian, Research Consultant
B.A. in Economics, Stella Maris College

This project introduced me to ideas of how and what a city could be. I love that we are creating a space for information that will empower and encourage the citizens of Chennai to participate in the planning and shaping of their city. I am currently collecting data on councilor elections to assess the performance of ward councilors. I helped with research and data collection mainly regarding the transport infrastructure. I collected the data for the public conveniences and helped in editing the bus-routes.

Vaishnavi Narasimhan, Consultant
M.S. in Biomedical Engineering
I have had the opportunity to learn a lot about the city and meet several interesting people. The people I work with are also amazing and I have learned a lot from all of them! I am helping the team with data collection and connecting with NGOs and other organizations and influential individuals in the city.

Neha Joseph, Intern
Final year, Integrated MA in Development Studies, IIT Madras

Charumathi Raja, Intern
IInd year, BA Economics, University of Warwick, Singapore

Renee Ho, Intern
Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University, USA

Adya Shankar, Intern
Pursuing a masters in Habitat Policy and Practice from TISS, Mumbai
I love Mumbai and learning about it through my course. In my internship with TC I am working in the areas of sanitation and slums in Chennai. TC has given me an oppurtunity to get a practical exposure of what I learn in my course. I am sure I will have a lot to take back to Mumbai at the end of this internship. Thanks Team TC!

Anjney Midha, Intern
GCE A Levels from St. Andrew’s Junior College, Singapore
Transparent Chennai is the first initiative of its kind I’ve come across, and its potential to catalyze change is palpable. I’m currently working with schools across Chennai to conduct mapping workshops under our outreach programme, and am developing an instructional video for the website.

Samuel Maurer
M.P.A. in Economics and Public Policy (2011) from Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University, USA
I think maps are a wonderful tool for understanding how infrastructure, environment, and services come together to make a great city. I researched and assembled the new slums layer, as well as some of the administrative and electoral maps.

Tracy Burnett
B.S. in Urban Studies and Planning
It is important to engage communities in thinking about their own governance. Transparent Chennai is a project that gives people the power and knowledge to think for themselves, and fight for their own rights; and it is supported by a team of capable, dedicated people. I helped to develop TC’s new project for bringing attention back to sanitation within Chennai’s urban infrastructure developments.

Priyanka Karunan
B.A. in Economics, Stella Maris College
I like the project for the people! I helped collect data for the bus routes layer and also put together a database of planning documents for various infrastructure projects in Chennai.

Rachelle Ratnaiya
B.A. in Economics, Stella Maris College
I loved the project because it gave me an opportunity to see Chennai, its slums and suburbs. Nostalgia apart, it is important to make the government accountable. So it gave me pride to be part of a project that does just that! I helped with the data collection for the bus routes layer.

Praveen Rathinavelu

Shyamily Mohan

Tanya Alexander

Sania Iqubal

Shivani Divakan

Sreeji M. R.

Please email us at tc@ifmr.ac.in for more information