Dr. Shivakumar Kandekar is Assistant Professor at National Centre for School Leadership, NIEPA. He holds a Ph.D degree in Education from Osmania University, Hyderabad, Telangana, and an M.Ed from Kakatiya University, Telangana. He also has a PG Diploma in Guidance and Counselling from Sri Venkateswara University, Andhra Pradesh. Dr Kandekar has had 4 years of teaching experience as an Assistant Professor (Pedagogy of Bio-science) at Vivekananda College of Education and at RGR Siddhanthi College of Education, Secunderabad, he has worked as a research associate at TISS, Mumbai. Dr Kandekar’s doctoral research design was quasi-experimental in nature to study the pattern of sanitation and hygiene across schools in rural, tribal and urban areas of districts Mulugu, Rajanna Siricilla and Hyderabad in Telangana. A major contribution of his research was development and validation of Sanitation and Hygiene Intervention Module in Primary Schools, which attempted to create awareness on water use, sanitation, and hygiene conditions to reduce infections and improve personal well- being of students.

In his passion towards improving the health of students, Dr. Kandekar as a master trainer in organizing various programmes and demonstrated Hand-washing (WHO) Techniques in Schools under the UDDEPANA -Project to Strengthen the Public Education System for delivering quality Education in Telangana State. Being an active member of the WASH Champion Trainers Club, he has contributed to the efforts of the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj. He has successfully been certified through various courses completed with UNICEF, WHO, Sustainable Development Goals on Health and Hygiene and School Leadership capacities and management skills. Dr. Kandekar has also presented a personal hygiene demonstration in School Mid-day Meal: Cook-Cum Helpers Training programme at T-SAT Educational Channel, Hyderabad. He has presented more than 20 Research papers at National/International conferences, various universities and published in edited books, editor of book Futuristic Trends in Social Science. Dr. Kandekar has organized various capacity building programme for school functionaries across Telangana. An avid social worker, his untiring efforts have received a token of appreciation under the National Service Scheme.

At NCSL, Dr. Kandekar is engaged across verticals at the National level and co-ordinates School Leadership Academies in Mizoram, West Bengal, Goa and Arunachal Pradesh.