Team Introductions
Vipul Mudgal - Director, Common Cause
Dr. Mudgal has been a journalist, activist and media scholar in India, the UK, and South East Asia. He has held senior editorial positions at the Hindustan Times, India Today, BBC World Service and Asia Times. A doctorate in Media Studies from Leicester University, Dr Mudgal also heads a project called the Inclusive Media for Change at the CSDS, where he has earlier been a visiting Senior Fellow and founding Director of the Publics and Policies Programme. He joined Common Cause as Director and Chief Executive in March 2015.
Pankaj Gupta - Head, Administration and Accounts
Pankaj had been associated with the Eicher Group of Companies for over forty years with expertise in accounts, administration and management. He joined Common Cause as the Head of Accounts and Administration Department in July 2014.
Swapna Jha - Senior Legal Consultant
Swapna is the Senior Legal Consultant with Common Cause since 2010 and has vast experience in drafting public interest litigations and engagement with public authorities on issues of public concerns. After pursuing law from Delhi University, she worked as a corporate lawyer for 11 years and after a brief sabbatical of about four years, moved full-time to human rights research and advocacy.
Radhika Jha - Project Lead (Rule of Law)
Radhika is a researcher, social worker and lawyer by training. She has done M.A. with specialization in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai and is an L.L.B from Faculty of Law, DU. She has previously worked with the Delhi Police Special Police Unit for Women and Children (SPUWAC) as counsellor, Centre for Equity Studies as a senior researcher and coordinator, and briefly with Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) as a visiting legal counselor.
Mohd Aasif - Research Executive
Mohd Aasif is a Research Executive at Common Cause and a media person with specialization in research. He worked as a field journalist and reported on university campus related issues. Mohd Aasif has done post-graduation in Media and Governance from Centre for Culture Media and Governance (CCMG), Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. He has previously worked with Clarion India.
Divyanshu Singh - Admin Assistant
Divyanshu has been with Common Cause since August 2014 as an assistant. He is a graduate with 5 years experience in field work. He is presently pursuing law.
Manoj Kumar - Office Assistant
Manoj has been an Office Assistant with Common Cause since 2011. He is a matriculate and is passionate about music and playing tabla.
Divya Singh Chauhan - Legal Officer
Divya Singh Chauhan (She/Her) is a lawyer and social worker with an LLM from University College London (UCL) and a Master's in Social Work from TISS, Mumbai. She has previously worked with vulnerable populations including women survivors of violence, children in need of care and protection (CNCP), and rural communities.
Her legal practice has focused on service matters, particularly advocating for government contractual employees facing non-payment of salaries and pay disparity at the Central Administrative Tribunal and the Delhi High Court. Her research work includes studying laws relating to sex workers in India and exploring the lived realities of homeless women and their interface with state & civil society members. She is currently working as a Legal Officer with Common Cause India.
Rishikesh Kumar - Research Executive (Legal)
Rishikesh Kumar is a lawyer and social worker with a background in public health and social policy. He holds a Master’s degree in Social Work (Public Health) from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
During his academic training, he worked across different sections of the healthcare system, including engagement with MDR-TB patients and field-based public health initiatives. He also worked with the Medical Social Work Department at Tata Memorial Hospital, where he was involved in supporting patients and understanding the social dimensions of healthcare delivery.
Currently working as a Research Executive (Legal), where he contributes to research and policy initiatives focused on governance, policing, and institutional accountability.
Alongside his research work, he practices law at SC, various High Courts and lower courts across India, combining legal practice with policy research and public interest initiatives.
Vinson Prakash - Research Executive
Vinson Prakash is a Research Executive at Common Cause. He holds an Honours Bachelor’s degree, double majoring in Sociology and Legal Studies from the University of Waterloo. He has previously worked as a policy analyst (co-op) with ApplyBoard and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.
