The Centre for Development Studies Alumni Association (CDSAA) has now come into fruition and remains active. On January 21, 2025 it was registered under the Act XII of the Travancore-Cochin Literary, Scientific and Charitable Societies Registration Act, 1955. This marks a significant milestone in our collective efforts to build a strong and vibrant network of members, associates and well-wishers of the CDS. We acknowledge the initial initiatives in this direction taken in 2007 by K J Joseph and his team. We greatly appreciate the unflinching support received from Sudipto Mundle (Chairman, CDS Board of Governors), C. Veeramani (Director) and T K Sundari (President, CDSAA) in the formation of the CDSAA.
The CDSAA has been envisioned as a platform to facilitate interaction, collaboration, and mutual support among alumni. It encourages every member to take an active interest in the continued progress of CDS, contributing to its programmes, initiatives, and professional growth.
Our overarching goal is to create a diverse, inclusive, and supportive community that embodies the core values of CDS while fostering both professional and personal development. We eagerly look forward to the ongoing engagement and valuable contributions of all alumni as we shape the future of CDS and strengthen our broader community.
Reg No. TVM/TC/40/2025
Room No. 5, TC 96/3052, Raj Building,
Centre for Development Studies,
Prasanth Nagar, Medical College P.O.,Ulloor,
Thiruvananthapuram-695 011, Kerala, India.
Email: cdsaa@cds.edu
Contact No.: +91 471 2774200, 9319365755
President
Sundari Ravindran
Vice President
Keshab Das
Secretary
Beena P.L.
Jt. Secretary
Harilal Madhavan
Treasurer
Chandra Shekar K
Members
Meena Abraham Chacko
Prabhu Das
Dennis Rajakumar
Shakuntala G Rao
D. Tripati Rao
S M Vijayanand
1. Life Membership
Fee: ₹10,000 (Rupees ten thousand only)
2. Annual Membership
Fee: ₹2000/-*(Rupees two thousand only)
* Those who make continuous payment of Rs. 2000 in 5 installments within 5 years become a Life Member.
3. Honorary / Associate Membership
Eligibility: Former faculty or staff members who were not students of CDS
Fee: No fee applicable (By invitation only)
Click here for the details of Membership of the Association
Kindly note that all payments must be made via online modes only (NEFT/UPI). CDSAA does not accept cash payments.
Payment details are given below
Account Holder: Centre for Development Studies Alumni Association
Bank Name: State Bank of India (SBI)
Account Number: 43838661073
IFSC: SBIN0070581
Branch: SBI Akkulam, Thiruvananthapuram 695 031
Branch Code: 70581
Scan the QR Code for Membership Fee Payment
The CDSAA Membership Form can be submitted by using the options below.
- Online Mode – Fill in the form online and submit it directly.
- Offline Mode – Download the blank form, fill it out manually, sign and date it, and then send it by post.
Please refer to the Memorandum of Association (MOA) for detailed information regarding the membership terms. The MOA outlines the eligibility criteria, rights, and obligations of Membership.
| No | Name | Membership | No | Name | Membership | |
| 1 | Sundari Ravindran T K | Life | 26 | Sebastian T K | Life | |
| 2 | Beena PL | Life | 27 | Ashok Emani | Annual | |
| 3 | Meena Abraham Chacko | Life | 28 | Sharad Ranjan | Life | |
| 4 | Mariamma Sanu George | Life | 29 | Tripati Rao | Life | |
| 5 | Hari Kurup K K | Life | 30 | Resmi P Bhaskaran | Annual | |
| 6 | Subramanian T. K. | Life | 31 | Anitha Kumary L | Annual | |
| 7 | Indervir Singh | Annual | 32 | Deepa G L | Annual | |
| 8 | Arabinda Bhattacharya | Life | 33 | Veeramani C | Life | |
| 9 | Sudip Kumar Mohapatra | Life | 34 | James K. S. | Life | |
| 10 | Harilal Madhavan | Life | 35 | Vaijayanti K. | Life | |
| 11 | Upendranadh Choragudi | Life | 36 | Rajeev Sharma | Life | |
| 12 | Chandra Shekar K | Life | 37 | Narayanan N C | Life | |
| 13 | Keshab Das | Life | 38 | Vijayshankar P S | Life | |
| 14 | Anand M R | Life | 39 | Rammanohar Reddy C | Life | |
| 15 | Parameswaran M | Life | 40 | Sreekumar T. T. | Life | |
| 16 | Jose A V | Life | 41 | Joseph (Josey) Puliyenthuruthel John | Life | |
| 17 | Sourish Dutta | Life | 42 | Ashoka Mody | Life | |
| 18 | Dennis Rajakumar J | Life | 43 | C T S NAIR | Life | |
| 19 | Prabhu Dass G. | Life | 44 | Vijayabaskar M. | Life | |
| 20 | Rachel Simon-Kumar | Annual | 45 | Rammohan K T | Life | |
| 21 | Tara Nair | Life | 46 | Rajeev Sadanandan | Annual | |
| 22 | Subrata Mukherjee | Life | 47 | Tanushree Haldar | Life | |
| 23 | Rajeswari S. Raina | Life | 48 | Mihir Shah | Life | |
| 24 | Sarita Varma M | Annual | 49 | Babu N.S. Dasari | Life | |
| 25 | Arvind Sardana | Annual |
Last updated on 01 August 2025
The formal Alumni Meet held on October 19, 2024, as part of the K.N. Raj Centenary Celebrations at CDS, was a memorable and well-organized event that brought together alumni from various cohorts. The leadership team, with Keshab Das at the helm and P L Beena coordinating the efforts, worked tirelessly to bring together a dedicated group of alumni, including M R Anand, Saikat Sinha Roy, Reshmi P B, Subrato Mukherjee, Harilal Madhavan, along with current students Aishwarya Prakash, Sachin Varghese Titty, Anna Maria and Bhatraju Jithin Sree Jithin and staff members such as Emmanuel T J, Ajikumar A R and Praveen G. Their collective and pragmatic action played a pivotal role in making this event a resounding success.
As a run-up to the K N Raj Centenary Celebrations, the aforesaid collective that was deliberating on the formation of the CDSAA held a special series of online interactions-presentations-interpretations titled ‘Reminiscing Prof K.N. Raj’ to honour and remember Prof. K.N. Raj. Given his profound contributions to the field of development studies and policy and the lasting impact he has had on both CDS and its alumni, these online events were not only informative but also emotionally resonant. It was a fitting tribute to someone whose legacy continues to shape the community at CDS.
The Alumni Meet was a remarkable landmark in celebrating contributions in the making of the CDS. With around 350 alumni actively participating, the formation of the Executive Committee (EC) and the election of office bearers marked an important step in organizing and formalizing the alumni network. The General Body had entrusted the EC with the responsibility of completing the registration formalities for CDSAA.
EVENTS
Book Discussion – ‘Fortune Seekers: A Business History of the Nattukottai Chettiars’
JULY 19, 2025 | 05.30 p.m.
CDS Alumni Association
Reg No. TVM/TC/40/2025
Room No. 5, TC 96/3052, Raj building,
Centre for Development Studies,
Prasanth Nagar, Medical College P.O.,Ulloor,
Thiruvananthapuram-695 011, Kerala, India.
Email: cdsaa@cds.edu
Contact No.: +91 471 2774200, 9319365755