Dr. Urmila Pingle (Trustee since 2005) has a dual degree in Medicine (Osmania Medical College, OU, Hyderabad) and a doctoral degree in Population Genetics/Statistics from Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta. She has had more than four decades of research experience involving a diversity of subjects ranging from Public health, nutrition, dietary practices, socio cultural and economic status of a number of tribal populations of Central India. She has published more than 25 papers and published two books on Anthropological aspects of these tribal groups. Her varied research experience led her to be involved in formulating natural resource development policies as well as Tribal development policies in the country. Her involvement with state and Central governments as well as her collaboration and networking with a wide variety of NGOs (Health, Community forestry, Tribal development and Education) helped support and assist them in more successful implementation of policies and programs. She has been consultant for many projects and studies of international and national organisations as well as for governments at state and national level. She has also documented the impact of successful programs that have incorporated a participatory approach that have truly empowered tribal women self her groups in Adilabad district, Telengana state. She was awarded the Indian Council of Medical Research Prize for contributions to “Bio-medical Research in under developed areas, 1989”.

Her close association with Centre for Peoples Forestry (CPF) as a trustee and chairperson over a decade has been an enlightening and a mutually learning experience.