NAME: Adv. Ms. Vandana Hemant Chavan
DATE OF BIRTH: 6TH July 1961
ADDRESS: 'Yashodhan', 212/51, Rambaug Colony, Pune 411030.
TELEPHONE: (Off) 91-20-24336792 (Resi) 91-20-24333190
(Mob) 94 220 29000
E- MAIL: vandanahchavan@hotmail.com

1)Practicing Advocate.
2)Was working as honorary lecturer at Symbiosis Law College, Pune.
3)Was elected to the post of Secretary, Pune Bar Association, 1987 - 88.
4)Co - author of book on "Law of Cruelty, Abetment of Suicide and Dowry Death".
5)Worked as Member, District Legal Aid Committee, Pune and Legal Aid Committee Symbiosis Law College.
6)Organised Seminars on 'Laws regarding Women', ' Problems of Junior Advocates', 'Laws in respect of Aids', in which the Hon'ble Chief Justice of India and several legal luminaries participated. Also organised a Seminar on 'Environmental Perspective for the 21st Century'.
7)Participated in several Local, State, National and International Conferences, Seminars and Workshops.

Vandana Chavan an advocate by profession, was thrice elected as Councillor to the Pune Municipal Corporation from 1992 - 2007 and was Mayor of the City of Pune in the year 1997-98.

She has spearheaded several initiatives in the city of Pune targeting mainly citizen’s participation, empowerment of women and sustainable development. Presently she is the Chairperson of the Environment Sub-Committee of the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, Pune.

Recipient of several awards and fellowships, including the prestigious Eisenhower Fellowship (USA), she is member of the 8 member Task Force of the Metropolis Women International Network Forum. Ms. Chavan has represented India at several international fora.

She is a visiting faculty at the All India Institute of Local Self Government, Mumbai and YASHADA, both premier training institutes for members of the Administration and Elected Representatives at all levels of government.

Through an Adult Literacy Program coupled with vocational training Ms. Chavan has established a marketing outlet for the goods manufactured by women and the mentally and physically challenged, by the name SMILE (Savitri Marketing Institution for Ladies’ Empowerment) which is the first ever such platform, in the State of Maharashtra and in India.

SMILE has been recognized as a Good practice by the UN-HABITAT and has been included amongst the 10 case studies recorded in the “Register of Innovation” for Poverty Alleviation published by the Government of India and the UNDP. SMILE has literally been instrumental in bringing a ‘smile’ on the faces of many beneficiaries.

Concerned about the issue of Climate Change Ms. Chavan initiated ALERT (Association for Leadership Education Research and Training) – a network initiative to create awareness among members of the community. ALERT also seeks to establish dialogue between government, elected representatives, citizens and other stake-holder groups to take steps for the mitigation and adaptation.

Ms. Chavan has made more than 300 presentations since 5th June 2007 and organized events on awareness on Global Warming at Colleges, voluntary organizations, corporates and at seminars attended by Mayors and elected representatives of Local Governments. The focus is now turned to the vulnerable poor in the society through awareness amongst women from self help groups.

Ms. Chavan is also a member of THE CLIMATE PROJECT – INDIA which has been initiated by the Nobel Laureate Al Gore, Former Vice President of the USA.

1) Government Open Merit, throughout College career.
2) Ranked 2nd in the University of Poona and 1st in the Indian Law Society’s Law College, at the final year of law.
3) Diploma in Consumer Protection laws form the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, affiliated to the Indian Law Society’s Law College.
4) Awarded Merit Certificate at the All India Moot Court Competition, held at Benaras by the Bar Council of India.
5) Awarded 'Certificate of Appreciation for Exemplary work done in the field of Environment'.
6) Awarded 'Vocational Excellence Award', for social work, by Rotary Club Ganeshkhind, 1995-96.
7) Received the 'Jaycees International Excellence Award for Public Relations - 1995', for the Project "BALMELA'.
8) Awarded ' Ideal Woman Councillor Award - 1996', in recognition of meritorious service rendered for the cause of the poor and public at large, by ' Yuvabharati'.
9) Awarded the Prestigious 'Efficient Councillor Award - 1996' - in recognition of the work done as Councillor, Pune Municipal Corporation, by the 'Rajeev Gandhi Foundation, Pune'.
10) Was Assistant Commissioner, Girl Guides, Maharashtra.

1) Was selected as a Member of the Group Study Exchange program (GSE) by the Rotary International, to visit Germany in May - June 1996.
2) Was selected as 'EISENHOWER FELLOW' by the Eisenhower Fellowships USA for 2000.
3) Was selected as a Participant for the “Asia-Pacific Summit of Women Mayors and Councillors” at Phitsanulok, Bangkok, Thailand, in June 2001.
4) Was selected for a Fellowship on "Participatory Process in Municipal Governance" at the Institute of Social Sciences, Netherlands in April 2002.
5) Was invited to represent Asia in a Workshop organised by Metropolis, on "Women and Governance", in Barcelona, Spain in March 2003.
6) Was invited to represent Asia in a workshop organized by Metropolis in Mexico in May 2004, however was unable to go due to Loksabha elections.
7) Member of the 8 member International level Task Force, constituted by the Metropolis (World Association of the major metropolises) Montreal, Canada formed with an objective to establish an International network of Women in Local governance.
8) Was invited to speak at the World Mayors’ Conference, Kochi, India in April 2005, on Women Empowerment.
9) Was invited to represent India for the 8th World Congress of the Metropolis, on Tradition and Transformation: the future of the city, held at Berlin, Germany, in May 2005. Was invited to speak on ‘Women and Environment’.
10) Was invited to present a paper on Participatory Governance, in the Municipal Leaders Summit on Climate Change, at Montreal, in December 2005.
11) Was invited to participate in Seminar 433 on “Women, Political Power and Next Generation Leadership”, held by the Salsburg Seminars at Salsburg, Austria between 11th to 17th September 2006
12) Was invited to represent India at Conference on “Dynamic Cities Need Women” at Brussels, Belgium on the 3rd to 5th December 2007 and to chair the Session on “Equality of women in Asia”. Was also a member of the 6 member Declaration Committee.
13) Has been trained at The Climate Project – India to make presentation on Global Warming by Nobel Laureate Al Gore, Former Vice President of the United States of America at the workshop held at New Delhi, in May 2008
14) Led a delegation of Women Mayor’s to Sydney, Australia for the Metropolis Congress on ‘Connecting Cities’, in October 2008

1) Have delivered several talks/lectures at Rotary, Lions, Jaycees, Innerwheel Clubs and several other organisations in and around Pune.
2) Resource person at The All India Institute of Local Self Government, Mumbai, for the various training programs for elected representatives and officials of the Local self-governments in India.
3) Resource person at YASHADA, a premier training Institute for Senior Government Officials.
4) Delivered a lecture on “Status of women in INDIA’, at the prestigious Asia Society, USA, in 2000.
5) Read Paper on ‘Women in the Political Process in India’, at Barcelona, Spain and also at Berlin, Germany. Delivered lecture on steps taken in the city of Pune to address Climate Change at the Montreal Conference.

1) Was elected thrice as Councillor to the Pune Municipal Corporation, in the years 1992 1997 and 2001.
2) Worked on several important Committees in the Corporation (Women and Child Welfare, Slum Improvement and Rehabilitation, Public Health, Law Committee, etc.)
3) Was elected to the prestigious post of ' MAYOR OF PUNE', for the period March 1997 - 1998.
4) Was Vice Chairperson, All India Council of Mayors, 1997-98.
5) Was Chairperson, Maharashtra State Mayor, President and Councillors Organisation, 2997 -98.
6) As Mayor of the city initiated "Clean City Campaign - Sankalp", Tree Plantation and "Literacy Campaign" for the illiterates between the age group of 9 to 35, with special emphasis on public participation.
7) As Mayor, organised Seminar on 'Aids Awareness' for Women Councillors from all over Maharashtra, 'Orientation Workshop for Elected Representatives', 'Seminar on Sustainable Development of Cities' for Mayors and Municipal Commissioners from major cities across the country.
8) As Mayor, organised 'Fifty Years Of Independence Celebrations' in a big way, which saw unprecedented response from the citizens.
9) As Mayor, worked towards strengthening International relationship between Sister cities of Bremen in Germany and San Jose in the US.
10) Heading the Project called "Smile" which provides vocational training to women and marketing support to their products.
11) Presently Chairperson of the Environment Committee of the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, Pune.
12) Is presently the Pune City President of the Nationalists Congress Party – also the first woman to hold this post.

1) Honorary Member of the Rotary Club and presently member of the Alumni Association, Rotary International.
2) Honorary member of the Lions Club
3) Was member of Jaycees International.
4) Member, University Women's' Association.
5) Member of several other organisations working for the upliftment of women, children and the handicapped.

1) Adult Literacy Program coupled with vocational training program - first of its kind in the city of Pune.
2) SANKALP - Cleanliness Drive for the city – an initiative which still continues.
3) Recreation Centre for the Senior Citizens.
4) SMILE – a marketing outlet for the goods manufactured by women and the mentally and physically challenged.
5) TANDEM - an initiative to involve youth in social activities in the city.
6) SUVARNAJYOTI – an initiative to involve women from the educated middle class in social and cultural activities.
7) Initiated a Library and sports group for children and youth.
8) ALERT – a network initiative to bring about dialogue between government, elected representatives and the citizens, presently ALERT addresses the issue of Climate Change and creates awareness amongst different stakeholder groups.