Area of Research Interest:

1. Health Economics and Finance, Public Health Issues, Health Research and Evaluation
2. Population Policies and Programs
3. Development Studies and Research
4. Social Infrastructure (Education - formal & non-formal), Health and Other Social Sector Issues

Selected Publications and Papers:

1. Medical Insurance for All? Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. XXXII No.7
2. India’s Population: The Worsening Scenario, Yojana, Vol.30 No.19
3. Contraceptive Use and Fertility in India, Anvesak, Vol.25 No.2
4. Rethinking on Population, Indian Express, June8, 1991
5. Economics of Ageing, Business Standard, July 25, 1986
6. A Realistic Urbanization Appraisal, Yojana, Vol.34 No.16
7. Not by GNP alone, Financial Express, November 21, 1983
8. Adult Education - Social Commitment, The Economic Times, November 14, 1984
9. Adult education - Occupational Training, The Economic Times, Nov. 15, 1984
10. Manifesto for Population Control, Financial Express, March 19, 1984
11. Thomas Malthus and the Modern Times, Financial Express, January 24, 1985
12. Population: Political Dimensions, Business Standard, May 14, 1985
13. Plague in Surat: Crisis in Urban Governance, Review article, Anvesak, Vol. 33, No.1
14. Transparency and Accountability in Public Administration: An Overview”, paper prepared for the Seminar on Transparency and Accountability hosted by the Gujarat regional Branch of the Indian Institute of Public Administration, 9 May 2003
15. Equality, Quality and Quantity: The Elusive Triangle in Indian Education, paper presented at the workshop on Quality of Elementary Education organized by the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, Delhi, July 2005
16. Waste Management in the Mega-City of Ahmedabad, accepted for the International Conference on Sustainable Sanitation – Eco-Cities and Villages, Dongsheng, China, August 2007

Research Projects and Working Papers:

1. Project Director, "Adult Education and Women's Development with Special Reference to Fertility and Childcare", SPIESR [for the Ministry of Education, Government of India]
2. Project Director, "Adult Education Program in Gujarat: Organization and Administration", SPIESR [for the Ministry of Education, Government of India]
3. Co-Director "Adult Education Program in Gujarat: Fourth Evaluation", SPIESR [for the Ministry of Education, Government of India]
4. Project Director, “Benchmark Survey of Mundra and Mandvi Talukas of Kutch District” [for the Narmada Planning Group, Government of Gujarat]
5. Demographic Situation in Gujarat with Special Reference to Family Planning, Infant Mortality and Education (submitted to the Government of Gujarat under the Gujarat Economy Chair)
6. Urbanization in Gujarat: Trends and Implications (submitted to the Government of Gujarat under the Gujarat Economy Chair)

Current Works:

1. Exploring the ageing processes and analyzing the social and economic implications
2. Analysing our development experience with special reference to the social sector and social development issues particularly laying emphasis on health, education etc.
3. Giving guidance to researchers and academicians

Recent Participation in Major Seminars/Workshops:

1. Participated in the Workshop on POPLINE Bibliographic Reproductive Health Database of the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA, and hosted by the International Institute for Population Sciences at Baroda, 15-17 December 2001
2. Seminar on Transparency and Accountability in Public Administration: A Lifeline of Good Governance, organized by the Gujarat regional Branch of IIPA at MGLI, Ahmedabad, 9 May 2003
3. National Seminar on Reproductive and Child Health held under the auspices of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and hosted by the International Institute of Population Sciences at Baroda, 9-10 July 2004
4. National Workshop on Quality of Elementary Education sponsored by the Ministry of Human Resources Development, GOI, and held at NIEPA, Delhi, 4-13 July 2005
5. Workshop on National Health Accounts held at Commissionerate of Health, Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, July 4, 2006
6. Third International Conference on Intercultural Communication held at IIM, Ahmedabad, 26-27 October, 2006
7. Was invited to participate in the International Conference on Sustainable Sanitation – Eco-Cities and Villages, August 2007, at Dongsheng, China
8. Workshop on Health Communication hosted by the Mudra Institute of Communication Research at MICA, Ahmedabad, 6 June 2008
9. Roundtable Meeting of the Regional Council of the Global Water Partnership, on Coping with Climate Variability and Climate Change through Partnership, NASC Complex, National Agricultural Academy of Sciences, Pusa, New Delhi, 2nd November, 2008
10. Conference on Regional Cooperation for Flood Mitigation at NASC Complex, 3rd November 2008, organized by the IWP and the Regional Council of GWP
11. National Workshop on Unorganized Sector and Role of Media on 25th February, 2009, MGLI, Ahmedabad

Membership of Committees:

1. Life Member, Indian Association for the Study of Population
2. Life Member, Indian Institute of Public Administration
3. Consultant to the World Bank Project of the Benchmark Survey of Mundra and Mandvi Talukas of Kutch District
4. Member (formerly), Population Association of America
5. Research Advisor (formerly), American Biographical Institute
6. Executive Committee Member, Gujarat Regional Branch of IIPA
7. Board of Governors Meeting of the India Water Partnership, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi, 3rd November 2008

8. Board of Governors Meeting of India Water Partnership, Delhi, 27th June 2009

Contact:

Email: thomas@spiesr.ac.in / thomath2001@yahoo.co.in
Telephone: +91 79 26850598(O), Cell: 09913769698
Fax: +91 79 26851714