Uma Mahadevan, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka, India, is a senior IAS officer and pioneering public administrator with over 30 years in service. As former Principal Secretary, Women and Child Development, she led critical reforms in Karnataka’s Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), expanded outreach of Angan wadis, and improved maternal-child nutrition outcomes. She emphasizes convergence between panchayats and frontline workers in delivering ECD services.

Roopa Srinivasan, Senior Director of Ummeed Child Development Center, is a developmental pediatrician and leader in inclusive early childhood care. She oversees clinical and training programs supporting children with developmental delays and disabilities. Her work involves early identification, family-centered interventions, and inclusive education strategies. Trained in Pediatrics and Developmental Disorders, she has worked across government and private sectors to integrate disability support into mainstream child development programs. Dr.

David Evans is a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, working on education, health, and social safety nets. Previously he was at the World Bank, where he co-authored the World Development Report 2018, Learning to Realize Education’s Promise, coordinated impact evaluation work for sub-Saharan Africa, and managed education projects in Brazil. Evans has evaluated education, early child development, agriculture, health, and social safety net programs in Brazil, the Gambia, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania.