Padmashree Shri Aloysius P. Fernandez

Conferred with ‘Padmashree’, one of the highest civilian awards in 2000 by the Government of India, Shri Fernandez’s qualifications include M. A., L.Ph. and B.PH (University of Louvain, Belgium), special Diploma in Development studies from University of Oxford, U.K., Diploma in Sociology and Research Methodology, from University of Louvain, Belgium. He has been the Executive Director of MYRADA, a premier NGO of India for nearly 25 years. He was closely associated with NABARD’s SHG Bank linkage programme right from its inception in 1986-87. He  has been a member of various National and State  level committees like the High Power Expert Committee on IRDP appointed by RBI,  Committee for consultations on Rural Credit set up by RBI/NABARD, Member, Advisory Committee for Reconstruction after  Maharashtra Earthquake, Member, Bangalore University Senate etc. He was a Director on the Board of Corporation Bank, member of CAPART Governing Body, and member of National Wastelands Development Board.  He has vast experience in working with several international agencies like World Bank, ODA- UK, CIDA-Canada, and IFAD. He is also the founder Chairman of Sanghamithra Rural Finance Services Ltd, a Section 25 microfinance institution. He has authored several books and monographs like Alternate Management Systems for Savings and Credit for the Poor, The Myrada Experience, Putting Institutions First-Even in Microfinance, Sanghamithra- A Microfinance Institution with a Difference apart from authoring about 55 papers on rural management systems.