Dishom Guru Research Foundation

Educate · Empower · Elevate · Research

Knowledge, dignity and the freedom to lead your own development.

We work alongside tribal, indigenous, rural and marginalised communities, bringing evidence-based research, education, healthcare, legal support and skills training to the places they reach last.

ᱫᱤᱥᱚᱢ ᱜᱩᱨᱩ

Our name in Ol Chiki, the script created for the Santali language.

Our vision

A just, inclusive and sustainable society where no one is left behind and every voice is heard.

Progress that skips a village is not progress. It is a debt.

What we believe

We envision a society where every individual, especially tribal, indigenous, rural and marginalised communities, is empowered with knowledge, dignity, equal opportunities and the freedom to realise their full potential.

We aspire to be a globally respected research and social development institution that bridges the gap between traditional wisdom and modern innovation. Through evidence-based research, quality education, accessible healthcare, legal empowerment, environmental stewardship, skill development and community-led initiatives, we work for lasting and meaningful change.

Our vision is to preserve indigenous heritage, inspire future generations, promote social justice, strengthen democratic values, and build resilient communities capable of leading their own development.

Back to the team
Advocate Javed Jamal

Advocate Javed Jamal

Founder Chairman & the mind behind Dishom Guru Research Foundation

  • 25+ years of professional and social experience
  • Practising Advocate, High Court of Jharkhand
  • Mass Communication graduate
  • Joint Secretary, Jharkhand Bodybuilding & Fitness Association
  • Law · Media · Journalism · Fitness · Human rights

I am the Founder Chairman of Dishom Guru Research Foundation. Over more than 25 years of professional and social work, I have worked at the intersection of law, media, journalism, fitness, social work and human rights advocacy.

As a Mass Communication graduate and a practising Advocate at the High Court of Jharkhand, I bring together legal expertise, communication skills, grassroots understanding and a strong commitment to social development. I also serve as Joint Secretary of the Jharkhand Bodybuilding & Fitness Association, which reflects my long-standing association with fitness, sports and youth development.

My journey of more than two decades has been shaped by my involvement in media, journalism, social initiatives, human rights awareness, community development and public engagement. As a portfolio careerist, I have built expertise across diverse fields while keeping a steady focus on social impact.

My vision for inclusive development

I envision a research-driven organisation that connects knowledge, evidence and grassroots realities to create meaningful and sustainable social change.

My vision places special emphasis on the development and empowerment of tribal communities, weaker sections, marginalised communities and underserved sections of society, through research, education, awareness, advocacy, youth participation and grassroots initiatives.

I believe research should not remain confined to reports and institutions. It should reach communities, influence policy and contribute to real change on the ground.

Advocate Javed Jamal
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Syead Arif

Syead Arif

Founder & Chief Executive Officer · Head of United Kingdom Operations

  • Born in India, resident of the United Kingdom
  • MSc in Mechanical Engineering with Management
  • Nearly a decade in social initiatives
  • Strategy, global outreach and UK operations
  • Education · Youth empowerment · Inclusive development

I am an Indian professional, social development leader and institution builder. I was born in India, live in the United Kingdom, and hold an MSc in Mechanical Engineering with Management.

Nearly a decade of active involvement in social initiatives has given me a strong commitment to education, youth empowerment and the advancement of weaker and underserved sections of society. My aim is to bring together youth, professionals, educators and communities to create meaningful and sustainable social impact.

Although I live in the UK, my connection with India remains deeply rooted. I believe social responsibility transcends geographical boundaries, and that education, dignity and opportunity should be accessible to everyone, irrespective of background, identity or location.

My role at the Foundation

As Founder and Chief Executive Officer, I play a key role in shaping the Foundation's vision, strategic direction and global outreach. As Head of United Kingdom Operations, I lead our UK-focused initiatives, coordination and international engagement, building bridges between professionals, institutions, youth and communities across borders.

I bring my international exposure and professional expertise to the Foundation's inclusive, research-oriented and globally connected approach, and I continue to dedicate my experience and leadership to strengthening a platform committed to education, empowerment, research and inclusive social development.

My vision is to connect people, knowledge and opportunities across borders, and to create an educated, empowered and inclusive society.

Syead Arif
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Mohammad Sartaj Alam

Mohammad Sartaj Alam

Founder & Managing Director

  • Nearly 37 years in the field of education
  • Educationist and social development professional
  • Strategic leadership and guidance
  • Education · Youth empowerment · Skill development

I am an educationist and social development professional with nearly 37 years of experience in the field of education.

For almost four decades I have been committed to promoting education, knowledge, youth development and social awareness. That experience has given me a deep understanding of the transformative power of education and its ability to create opportunities and strengthen communities.

As Founder and Managing Director of Dishom Guru Research Foundation, I provide strategic leadership and guidance to our initiatives in education, research, youth empowerment, skill development and community welfare.

Driven by experience, vision and a strong commitment to social progress, I continue to work towards building a more educated, empowered and inclusive society, and to inspire the younger generation to pursue knowledge, develop their potential and contribute positively to the community.

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Manik Mohanty

Manik Mohanty

Director of Administration

  • Administration, operations and internal coordination
  • Records, systems and day-to-day functioning
  • Support for field teams and programme delivery

As Director of Administration, I look after the work that holds everything else together: coordination between our teams, the systems and records the Foundation runs on, and the day-to-day arrangements that allow research and fieldwork to go ahead without interruption.

Good administration is rarely visible from the outside, and I think that is exactly as it should be. When it is done well, a health camp opens on time, a training programme has what it needs, and a field team arrives to find the groundwork already laid.

My vision

My vision is a Foundation that communities can rely on: organised, accountable and consistent, so that every commitment we make in a village is one we are able to keep.

I believe trust is built through follow-through. My work is to make sure that what we promise a community actually reaches it, on time and in full.

Manik Mohanty
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Md. Sahil Khan

Md. Sahil Khan

Co-Founder & Director of Social Media, Digital & Ground Analysis

  • Nearly 10 years in social media and digital communication
  • Political strategist and grassroots analyst
  • Gen Z trends, digital culture and public sentiment
  • Active in social work and community initiatives

I serve as Co-Founder and Director of Social Media, Digital & Ground Analysis at Dishom Guru Research Foundation. As a political strategist with nearly 10 years of experience in social media, digital communication and grassroots analysis, I work where the online conversation meets the reality on the ground.

My understanding of Gen Z trends, digital culture, social media behaviour, public sentiment and grassroots realities lets me bring a modern and strategic perspective to political communication and social research. My strength lies in connecting digital insights with ground-level intelligence to understand emerging trends and evolving public opinion.

Beyond my professional role, I have consistently taken part in social work and community initiatives, contributing to causes focused on awareness, participation and positive social change.

At the Foundation I lead social media strategy, digital outreach, Gen Z engagement, ground analysis and public communication, helping build a stronger connection between research, society and the digital generation.

Our work

Eight fronts, one community at a time

These are not run as separate projects. A land-rights case needs a literacy class; a health camp needs a road; a school needs parents who are not in debt. We work on them together, in the same villages, over years.

Evidence-based research

Field studies, data and documentation that communities can use to argue their own case, published openly, not filed away.

Quality education

Learning centres, mother-tongue teaching material, scholarships and mentoring for first-generation learners.

Accessible healthcare

Health camps, maternal and child care outreach, and referral support for villages hours from the nearest clinic.

Legal empowerment

Plain-language guidance on land, forest and constitutional rights, and practical help navigating the process.

Skill development

Vocational training, digital literacy and livelihood support matched to what local markets actually pay for.

Environmental stewardship

Forest, water and soil work led by the people who depend on them, using knowledge that predates the survey map.

Indigenous heritage

Recording language, script, music, craft and oral history, and putting it back into the hands of the young.

Community-led initiatives

Village committees set the priorities. We bring research, funding and follow-through, not a plan from outside.

How we work

Four steps, in this order, every time

The order matters. Most development work fails because it begins at step three.

01

Listen

We start in the village, not the report. Priorities are set by the people who live with the problem, in a meeting they call.

02

Research

We gather evidence with the community rather than about it, and publish what we find so others can use it.

03

Build together

Programmes are designed with local committees, pairing traditional knowledge with modern practice and open data.

04

Hand over

Success is when the work runs without us. We train local leaders, document everything, and step back.

True progress is achieved when no one is left behind and every voice is heard, respected and empowered.
From our vision statement

Get involved

Three ways to be useful

Money helps. So do six weeks of your time and a research department willing to share its data.

Give

Fund a programme

Regular giving is what lets us commit to a village for years instead of months. Tell us where you want it to go, or let the community decide.

Donate now

Serve

Volunteer or intern

We need teachers, health workers, lawyers, translators, archivists and field researchers. Placements run from two weeks to a full academic term.

Apply to volunteer

Collaborate

Partner on research

For universities, institutes, NGOs and government departments: joint studies, shared datasets, fieldwork access and co-published findings.

Propose a collaboration

Contact

Write to us

Tell us what you would like to do and someone will reply within a few working days.