From witnessing inequality during her childhood in Jharkhand to building a career in social research and eventually co-founding Anahat, Namrata Dutta Karamchandani has spent years working to address barriers that prevent women, adolescents and children from accessing their rights, education and opportunities.
For Namrata Dutta Karamchandani, social work did not begin with a single defining moment. It grew from years of observing inequality, studying social issues and questioning why systems were not reaching people who needed them most.
From Social Research To Social Action
Namrata Dutta Karamchandani holds a Master’s in Social Science from Calcutta University and a Master’s in Planning from CEPT University, Ahmedabad. She began her professional journey in social research, working with a small firm where she learned the entire process, from field data collection and questionnaires to analysis, reporting and proposals. She later led studies involving UNICEF and Gallup India’s World Poll.
While conducting CSR impact assessments, she often found a gap between ground realities and what organisations were willing to acknowledge.
Childhood Experiences Shaped Her Understanding Of Inequality
Originally from Giridih in Jharkhand, Namrata Dutta Karamchandani grew up in a lower-middle-class family in a region known for mica mining. Her grandfather worked as a mica-mining manager, and she witnessed the realities surrounding mining communities, including children working around mines.
Her father’s transferable job later took the family to Jorhat, Banaras and Kolkata. Namrata also experienced discrimination and expectations associated with being a girl and growing up with dark skin.
Why Menstruation Became A Starting Point
When Namrata Dutta Karamchandani and her co-founder began their work, social research was central to their approach. WASH studies across India brought them closer to realities surrounding menstruation, including myths, menstrual products, disposal practices and restrictions imposed on women.
These observations became the foundation for Anahat’s work. Anahat conducts workshops involving women, men and boys to address menstrual health and challenge stigma.
Working With Children In Vulnerable Communities
Anahat also works with adolescent girls and boys in vulnerable communities, including Koderma in Jharkhand and Alipurduar in West Bengal.
In Koderma, the organisation works with communities facing education and economic vulnerabilities linked to mica mining. In Alipurduar, it works in closed tea gardens where families face livelihood insecurity. When gardens close, parents may migrate for work, leaving children with grandparents or older siblings. Namrata Dutta Karamchandani says these circumstances can increase vulnerability to school dropout, unsafe migration and trafficking.
Anahat works with children to support school retention while building awareness about rights, sexual and reproductive health and future opportunities.
Helping Children Stay In School
One ongoing Alipurduar project involves around 300 children, with approximately 150 forming the organisation’s main focus. In Koderma, Anahat works with schools to support retention, using football as a life-skills tool through a play-and-reflect approach.
It also helps families connect with government schemes and scholarships to reduce financial barriers to education.
When One Child’s Education Is At Risk
One case that stayed with Namrata Dutta Karamchandani involved Rohit Munda, a student whose father, the family’s sole earning member, had an accident. Unable to pay school fees, the family considered moving Rohit from his English-medium private school to a government school. According to Namrata Dutta Karamchandani, the private school was withholding his transfer certificate over unpaid fees.
Anahat approached the panchayat and later the Block Education Officer. The officer directed the school to waive the dues and provide documentation under the Right to Education framework. Rohit was then able to continue his education at the same school.
Building A Bridge Between Communities And Government
Looking ahead, Namrata Dutta Karamchandani wants Anahat to work more closely with government systems. The organisation has identified gaps between government services and communities. Remote adolescent girls may have limited access to health camps and screenings.
Anahat aims to bridge this last-mile gap by connecting communities with government systems and strengthening access to existing services.
Funding Remains A Major Challenge
Funding remains a major challenge for Anahat. Namrata Dutta Karamchandani believes social programmes require longer-term support because meaningful change cannot always be achieved within one year. She also highlights the need for adequate administrative funding for staff, infrastructure and operations.
For Namrata Dutta Karamchandani, balancing work with motherhood is also an ongoing struggle. She is a mother of twin boys and started Anahat in 2018, around the time they were born.
The Logical Indian Perspective
Namrata Dutta Karamchandani’s journey from social research to grassroots action reflects how lived experience and professional understanding can shape social work. Through Anahat, she works with communities where education, gender, health and livelihood challenges often overlap.
Its work focuses on helping children stay in school, addressing menstrual stigma, connecting families with government schemes and helping adolescents understand their rights.
At its core, Anahat seeks to help girls and boys understand their choices, overcome barriers and build lives on their own terms. For Namrata Dutta Karamchandani, change begins when children stay in school and communities can access the systems designed to support them.
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