Dr Anant Kumar
Dr Anant Kumar

Head - Rural Management Programme

Coordinator – Fellow Programme in Management

Professor

Date of Joining: 13.10.2006

Background

Dr. Anant Kumar is a Fulbright Scholar, Behavioral Scientist, and Professor & Head of the Rural Management Programme at Xavier Institute of Social Service (XISS), Ranchi. He holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Psychology from the University of Allahabad and earned his M.Phil. and Ph.D. in Social Medicine and Community Health from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi.
His academic interests span Behavioral Science, Organizational Behavior, Public Health, Public Policy, and Soft Skills and Personality Development. Dr. Kumar is also a Licensed Practicing Psychologist, offering counseling and psychological support to individuals, helping them better understand their emotions, behaviors, and personalities.

Professional Experience

Dr. Anant Kumar brings over eighteen years of rich academic and professional experience in teaching, research, training, and institutional leadership. Currently, he serves as Professor and Head of the Rural Management Programme at Xavier Institute of Social Service (XISS), Ranchi. He joined the institute in 2006 and has since played a pivotal role in shaping the academic and developmental direction of the programme. He also coordinates the Fellow Programme in Management and leads several strategic initiatives including international collaborations, student exchange programmes, and the Centre for Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences. He heads the Institute’s Counselling Services and has been an active member of key institutional committees such as the Internal Quality Assurance Cell and the Research Advisory Committee.
Beyond XISS, Dr. Kumar holds the position of Adjunct Additional Professor at the Global Institute of Public Health, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. He is also affiliated with the Global Gender Center at RTI International, USA, where he contributes to interdisciplinary research on gender and public health. He previously served as Adjunct Associate Professor in the Public Health Leadership Program at the Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA.
Dr. Kumar’s professional engagements reflect a deep commitment to academic excellence and public health advancement. He has held editorial roles with several prominent journals. Currently, he is Associate Editor of Frontiers in Public Mental Health, and serves on the editorial boards of Critical Public Health, Materia Socio-Medica, and New Horizons in Translational Medicine. His experience also includes contributions to the Rehabilitation Council of India as a member of its Expert Committee and serving on the Board of Studies at institutions such as IIHMR University, Jaipur, and MIT World Peace University, Pune.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Kumar worked with organizations such as the Institute of International Education and IntraHealth International in various research and programme roles. His professional journey reflects a blend of academic leadership, field-based research, and global engagement.

Achievements

Dr. Kumar's career is marked by a distinguished record of academic and professional accomplishments. He was awarded the prestigious Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Fellowship, during which he conducted research and teaching at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He is also a recipient of the Maternal and Child Health Institute Scholarship and the Leadership Development Mechanism (LDM) Fellowship.
His research contributions are extensive, with over ninety publications in leading national and international journals such as The Lancet, Economic and Political Weekly, Public Health, Journal of Mental Health, Health Sociology Review, and Social Work in Public Health. In addition to journal articles, he has authored two books and contributed to five book chapters, addressing a range of themes from public health and behavioral science to rural development and mental health.
Dr. Kumar is a regular participant and invited speaker at international conferences and has presented his work in countries including the USA, Canada, Australia, China, Malaysia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Bangladesh. He also serves as a reviewer for numerous peer-reviewed journals, contributing to the global discourse in public health and social sciences.
His professional affiliations reflect his ongoing commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration. He is a life member of the Indian Association of Public Health (IAPH) and the Indian Association for the Study of Population (IASP), among others. His work continues to impact public policy, academic training, and grassroots development, both in India and internationally.

Tel : Ext: 401