Dr. Kirit N. Shelat

Dr. Kirit Nanubhai Shelat is Ph.D in Public Administration. He recently retired from the Indian Administrative Service. He started his career in public administration by joining the Gujarat Administrative Service in the year 1967. During his career of 40 years, he has worked at the grass-root level and had his hand in the formulation and implementation of policies for Agricultural, rural and Industrial development. He has worked as Commissioner of Rural Development, Industries Commissioner, Commissioner for Employment and Training, Commissioner for disabled persons and Secretary Energy Department. He has also worked, as Chairman of State Level Public undertaking like Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation, Land Development Corporation. He also worked in Afghanistan as Land Settlement Advisor to Government of Afghanistan.

He has designed and implemented large-scale projects for poor families, farmers, and micro entrepreneurs. He has made a significant contribution in the development process of Gujarat. He developed guidelines for Micro-level planning with focus on individual poor family and village development plan. He was responsible for “Cluster development approach’’ for small industries and “Step up project for rural micro level Entrepreneurs. He developed micro level production plan module for individual farmer and has his hand in restructuring the Gujarat agriculture sector. After his retirement as Principal Secretary – Agriculture and Cooperation Department, Government of Gujarat, he is associated with multi-dimensional rural programmes and is actively involved in International School for Public Leadership. He is the author of number of books on development including biography – Param pujya Pramukh Swami Maharaj.Excellent Opportunity.

BOOKS PUBLISHED

He has number of books to his credit related to public policy and development administration like:

· Planning for Rural Development (Vol.1) – methodology for Micro level planning for Rural development, 1980.

· Planning for Rural Development (Vol. – II)- Evolution of Rural Development programme – guidelines for Field Level Officers, 1982.

· Evolution of Rural Development

· Mapping Development – based on Gujarat (published in English), May – 2003

· Gujarat No Vikas Naksho – based on Gujarat (published in Gujarati), May 2004.

· Yug Purush– Biography of Pujya Pramukh Swami Maharaj, Jan 2005

· Manual Micro Level Planning for scientific Agriculture at village level, May 2005

· Manual for Farmers, May 2005

· What Ails our Agriculture, April 2007