Vinayak Lohani, the Founder of Parivaar, did B.Tech from Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (2000) and MBA from Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (2003). He did not appear for the placement process at IIM, and immediately after his MBA, started Parivaar. The normal career-path of a mainstream corporate career following degrees from two of the most prestigious institutes in India ensures a highly lucrative future, but Vinayak Lohani sacrificed this to pursue a life of humanitarian service.
He was inspired by the spiritual and humanistic ideals of Swami Vivekananda, and with just 3 children in a small rented building with almost no financial resources, Vinayak started Parivaar. As on January 2024, Parivaar’s Residential Institutions has more than 2100 resident children and is considered to be a model institution for caretaking and overall development of children from destitute backgrounds in a residential setting. It is also the largest free residential institution for children from impoverished backgrounds in the whole of West Bengal.
In the year 2016 Vinayak expanded Parivaar to a new geography of Madhya Pradesh where it has started 800 Seva Kutirs(Nutritional and educational Centers) for children in selected impoverished tribal pockets in 18 districts of Madhya Pradesh and one district of Chhatisgarh, called ‘Sri Ramakrishna Vivekananda Seva Kutir’. They are in districts of Sheopur, Chhindwara, Betul, Dindori, Khandwa, Dewas, Sehore, Anuppur, Mandla, Shivpuri, Sidhi, Ratlam, Harda Vidisha ,Jhabua, Barwani, Alirajpur and Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh and Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi in Chhatisgarh. At these Kutirs more than 550,00 thousand children are getting nutritious meals (breakfast and dinner) along with Strongly Supplementary education along with overall child development over morning and evening shifts. Two residential educational institutions, modeled on lines of our Bengal institutions, have also been started. The one at Sandalpur village in Dewas district was started in December 2021 with more than 300 resident children initially, and will be gradually scaled up to a capacity of more than 2000 resident children. Another residential institution in Sehore district was started in July 2022. Parivaar has also started 2 hostels in Mandla for more than 200 children (both girls and boys). . Eventually one residential institution in each of the districts of MP where Seva Kutirs are under operation, will be set up.
In the year 2021, several ancillary initiatives based on the seva kutir platfrom have also been started. These are
(a) 24*7 Ambulance Services
(b) Vision Restoration Programme
(c) Mobile Health Clinics
(d) Mother-Infant Care(Prenatal to First 1000 days) Programme
AWARDS & HONOURS
National Award for Child Welfare 2011 presented by the Hon. President of India at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Sanskriti Award 2011, country’s premier award for young achievers in 2011 from the Former President of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
Sri Sathya Sai Award’ presented by the Vice President of India, Dr Venkaiya Naidu, in November 2018.
Madhya Pradesh Gaurav Samman presented by the Hon. Governor and Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh in November 2022.
‘Swami Rama Humanitarian Award 2015’ presented by Hon. Chief Minister of Uttarakhand.
Nivedita Samman 2019 presented by West Bengal Governor Shri Jagdeep Dhankar.
CNN-IBN’s ‘Young Indian Leader of the Year Award’ for 2012.
IIM Calcutta’s ‘Distinguished Alumnus Award’ (one of the 9 recipients selected out of 8000 alumni of the institute in last 50 years) awarded in 2011 on occasion of Institute’s Golden Jubilee
IIT Kharagpur’s ‘Distinguished Alumnus Award’ awarded in 2014- Youngest recipient in the history of the award.
Swami Ranganathananda Memorial Humanitarian Award 2014 presented at the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture Calcutta.
Bhaorao Deoras Sewa Samman’ 2015 presented at Lucknow by Hon Governor, Uttar Pradesh.
Vivekananda Seva Samman 2016 presented by Hon. Governor, West Bengal.
Telegraph ‘Special Honour’ conferred by Telegraph Education Foundation Calcutta in 2014.
True Legends Award’ presented by ‘The Telegraph’ in April 2015.
Publications
Publications Vinayak Lohani is the author of three books - 'Bhupendranath Datta - Patriot, Scholar and Revolutionary', 'Almora's Couple Extraordinary - Boshi Sen and Gertrude Emerson', and 'The Three Torch-bearers of the Holy Trio'. He has published several articles and essays in publications like the Economic and Political Weekly, The Times of India, The Wire, Swarajyamag, LiveHistoryIndia, Outlook etc. He also writes fiction in genres of short stories and plays and his English fiction has been published in the Sahitya Akademi Journal. Many of his writings can be read at vinayaklohani.in
Roles with Government of India
Induction into Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) (2015 onwards), the apex consultational forum in Ministry of Human Resources Development, Government of India
Induction into the National Committee for Promotion of Social and Economic Welfare constituted by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India (2014-2017).
Inducted into the Management Committee and Governing Board of Childline India Foundation (2014 onwards), constituted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development which manages 24 hour child helpline services across nearly 500 districts in India.
