Dr. Manoj Nardeosingh

His Excellency Dr. Manoj Nardeosingh who hails from Mauritius, took over the charge of office of the Secretary General of AARDO on 03 September 2019 after having been elected by the Special Session of AARDO Executive Committee held in New Delhi, India on 11th June 2019. Prior to appointment as Secretary General, Excellency served AARDO as Assistant Secretary General from 14 February 2014 to 02 September 2019. Before joining the AARDO Headquarter in New Delhi, India, H.E. Dr. Manoj Nardeosingh worked with Government of Mauritius in various positions such as Economist, Researcher, Educationist and Proponent of cooperative movement in the country. His Excellency was Secretary for Cooperative Development, Ministry of Business, Enterprises and Cooperatives, Government of the Republic of Mauritius that post Excellency occupied in 2005. Before that, H.E. Dr. Manoj Nardeosingh had worked as Senior Cooperative Development Officer from 2003 to 2005; Acting Secretary for Cooperative Development from 1995 to 2000; and Co-operative Development Officer from 1992 to 1995 in the Ministry of Commerce and Co-operatives. In 1991, His Excellency was also Economist in the Ministry of Economic Planning and Regional Cooperation and has also been a professor of Economics in the college.

While working in the Mauritius Government's Cooperatives Department in different capacities, His Excellency was responsible, inter alia, for conception, appraisal and implementation of cooperative development programmes and projects; advice on co-operative policy formulation and long term perspective planning and development strategies; consultancy services to cooperatives and coordination of Information Technology projects including training; multi-lateral, bilateral and regional cooperation for cooperative projects; and project evaluation and appraisal studies. His Excellency has interacted with various international organizations such as the International Labour Office (ILO), the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

H.E. Dr. Manoj Nardeosingh did Master of Science (M.Sc) in Economics from Moldavian State University (Ex USSR) in 1990 and Ph.D from Finance Academy, Moscow, Russian Federation in 2003. Topic of Excellency’s Ph.D thesis was "Modelling of Organisational, Methodological and Instrumental Support for Small Organisations".

His Excellency has had the distinction to participate and present technical papers in various International and Specialised Training Courses, Workshops and Conferences between 1993 and 2010. Important among these were: International Co-operative Alliance (lCA) - Africa Regional Office Committee Meeting, Botswana (1997); Seminar on "Enhancing Cooperative Competitiveness in a Global Economy-Towards Promoting Cooperative Entrepreneurship and Strategic Alliances" Malaysia (2006); Workshop on CoopAfrica Programme ILO, Tanzania (2007); and Head of Mauritian Delegation to India- ICA EXPO 2010, Bangalore.

By virtue of being a subject specialist, His Excellency has been associated with various organizations in different capacities. His Excellency has been a Board Member for over 10 years in the Farmers Service Co-operation; Irrigation Authority, 1995 -1997; St. Antoine Planters Co-operative Trust; Court of University of Mauritius, 2005-2013; and National Institute for Cooperative Entrepreneurship, 2005-2014. H.E. Dr. Manoj Nardeosingh has been a Member of Food Security Fund Evaluation Committee; Law Committee for Reviewing Legal Framework for Cooperatives and Drafting of a New Co-operative Societies Bill; Co-operative Development Council, and has acted as Secretary to: National Trust Fund for Cooperative Societies (1995-98); Cooperative Tribunal (1995-2000); and Cooperative Development Advisory Board (over ten years).

His Excellency was National Project Director of ILO/UNDP, financed project on "Computerisation of Cooperative Accounts and Management in Mauritius" as well as coordinator of a number of projects in the cooperative fields. His Excellency also delivered lectures on topical themes and supervised MBA students in Mauritius. His Excellency has a number of publications to Excellency’s credit, that among others, included: Booklet on Project Management, 1999; Inputs to Cooperative Development Plans: 1992-94, 1994-96, 1998-2000; Cooperative Development Strategies 2000-2005, 2005-2010 and 2012-2015; Economic and Mathematics Models for Small Businesses in the Russian Journal of "Markets of Economic Systems and Information Technology" (2001); Business Plans for Small Enterprises in the Russian Journal of "Actual Problems of Mathematical Modelling of Financial and Economic Activities" (2002).

H.E. Dr. Manoj Nardeosingh is fluent in English, French and Russian languages, in addition to fair knowledge of Hindi language. With such a vast experience in the fields of economics and cooperatives development, AARDO will surely benefit from Excellency’s leadership in further strengthen its policies and programmes on rural development.

Eng. Wassfi Hassan El-Sreihin,

Eng. Wassfi Hassan El-Sreihin, served as the Secretary General of AARDO from 03 September 2011 to 02 September 2019. Prior to his election as Secretary General,was Adviser to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Government of Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and Honorary Regional Representative of AARDO for the Middle East Regional Office (MERO) that post he occupied from May 2006-September 2011. Before become the Honorary Regional Representative, His Excellency had also worked as Director in MERO from 2000 to 2006. Eng. Wassfi did his Post-graduate Diploma in Roads and Transportation Engineering in 1992 from University of Jordan. He attended Higher Administration Programme organized by Institute of Public Administration in 1999.

Dr. Abdalla Yahia Adam

Prior to his election as Secretary General, Dr. Abdalla Yahia Adam served as Assistant Secretary General from March 2000. Before joining AARDO as Assistant Secretary General in March 2000, he had assumed the charge of the MP (Sudan National Assembly) and Deputy Chairman of the Committee of Agriculture, Water Resources and Animal Wealth. Dr Adam did his Master degree from the University of Readings, UK and Ph.D from Jamia Hamdard, India. Dr Adam was elected as the Secretary General of AARDO by the 51st session of the Executive Committee, held at New Delhi during June 2003.

Dr. Bahar Munip

Dr. Bahar Munip took over as Secretary General of AARRO on 3 September 1997 after having being elected by the 44th Session of Executive Committee held in Egypt in 1997. Before assuming the charge of Secretary General, Dr Munip served as Assistant Secretary General during March 1993 – August 1997. He was involved in the development of the rural sector in food production and eradication of poverty for over two decades in Malaysia. Prior to joining AARDO in 1993, Dr. Munip was Director of ASEAN Food Handling Bureau.

Mr. Ahmed Abdelwahed Khalil

Prior to his appointment as Secretary General, he worked as Assistant Secretary General from 1984. After having graduated in Sociology from Cairo University, he went in for specialised higher studies in Sociology at Cairo University; on a scholarship for Development Studies at Paris and Ohio State University, USA and Master Degree in Public Administration from Cairo University. He has a varied experience in the field of Social Development/Welfare, Social Service Amenities, Handicraft & Cottage Industries and Cooperatives in the rural areas in Egypt.

Mr. B.C. Gangopadhyay

Joined Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1950 and served in different capacities as Sub-Collector, District Collector and Secretary to the Government with portfolios of Irrigation & Power, Roads & Buildings, Forests & Rural Development, Medical & Health and Revenue. Joined the Government of India in 1978 and worked as Managing Director and Chairman, Food Corporation of India during 1978-80. Last posting in the Government of India was that of Secretary, Department of Food during the period 1980-85.

Dr. B.S. Minhas

Served as Member, Planning Commission of India; Member of Sixth Finance Commission of India; Fellow, University of Sussex, Brighton, England; Chairman, Governing Council, National Sample Survey Organization, Government of India; Advisor to World Bank Mission to Egypt in 1979 and 1980; Consultant to FAO; Head of the Planning and Regional Survey Units of the Indian Statistical Institute; Distinguished Scientist, Indian Statistical Institute.

Mr. S.M. Osman

Served the Government of Arab Republic of Egypt and held important positions: Member, Ministry's Technical Bureau; Deputy Director and Director in Egyptian General Cooperative Agriculture Organisation; and Rapporteur Organiser, Permanent Afro-Asian Training Centre, Ministry of Agriculture, Cairo (on Deputation). First appointed as Director in the Afro-Asian Rural Development Organization in 1965 and promoted as Assistant Secretary General in 1966. Assumed charge as acting Secretary General on 4th October 1974, followed by regular appointment as Secretary General on 1 November 1975 (Died in office on 12 November 1979).

Mr. Krishan Chand

Joined Indian Civil Service in 1939. Served as Secretary and Evaluation Commissioner in the State of Uttar Pradesh (India); Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Community Development & Cooperation and the Ministry of Food & Agriculture, Government of India; Additional Secretary and Director General, Food, Government of India.

Mr. K.D. Sharma

Before joining AARDO, Mr. Sharma was working as the Secretary of the Farmers' Forum, India and also held charge of Director of the Agriculture Fairs in India.