Ravindra Kumar (born 1959) is a political scientist, peace-worker, educationalist and the former Vice-Chancellor of Meerut University. Currently he is the editor-in-chief of the 'Global Peace International Journal', and has more than a hundred books and four hundred articles/talks/lectures on great leaders of the Indian sub-continent, especially Mohandas Gandhi, and on various social, religious, political, educational, cultural and academic issues.
Early life and education
Born in 1959 at Kakrauli village of Muzaffarnagar district in Uttar Pradesh India, he is an M.A. in political science & Philosophy, PGD in Gandhian Studies and PhD.
A well-known Indologist and the former Vice-Chancellor of CCS University Meerut, India, Kumar has been associated with several national and international academic, cultural, educational, peace and social bodies/institutions/organisations. As a cultural ambassador of India, he has specially two hundred lectures/talks at various institutions and universities of the world on subjects related to Asian values, civilisation, culture, education, Gandhism, international co-operation and understanding, leadership, religion, terrorism, way-of-life, world peace, youth affairs etc.
As a Peace Worker, Kumar started Peace Review – an international journal of peace studies in 1998 and worked as its Editor-in-Chief. In 2001 he has started Global Peace – another international journal of philosophy, peace, education, culture and civilisation. Besides, he has inspired hundred and thousands of people all over the world for their commitment towards non-violence by signing pledges.
He has organised seminars and symposiums at national and international level on subjects like religion and politics (at Meerut in July 1993), morality and ethics in public life (at Pune in January 1996), education, peace and development (at Meerut in November 2000), non-violence and democracy (at Meerut in April 2002), on human rights (at Meerut in January 2003) and on Mahatma Gandhi (in Mumbai in February 2004).
Some of his books have been translated into Tamil and Thai languages, apart from Hindi and English languages.
RELIGION AND WORLD PEACE in English, Hindi & Tamil [1993–2006]
MORALITY AND ETHICS IN PUBLIC LIFE in English [1999]
GANDHI AND GANDHISM in English [2001]
TOWARDS PEACE in English & Hindi [2001–2006]
THEORY AND PRACTICE OF GANDHIAN NON-VIOLENCE in English & Hindi [2002–2007]
FROM CHAMPARAN TO QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT in English & Hindi [2002–2008]
NON-VIOLENCE AND ITS PHILOSOPHY in English [2003]
FIVE THOUSAND YEARS OF INDIAN CULTURE in Hindi [2003]
MAHATMA GANDHI AT THE CLOSE OF TWENTIETH CENTURY in English [2004]
GANDHIAN THOUGHTS: AN OVERVIEW in English [2006]
MAHATMA GANDHI IN THE BEGINNING OF TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY in English [2006]
FUNDAMENTALS OF CIVILIZATION in Hindi [2006]
TOWARDS BUDDHA in Hindi [2007]
SELECTED ESSAYS: MOSTLY ON BUDDHISM & GANDHISM in English [2007]
FIVE THOUSAND YEARS' HISTORY OF JAMMU-KASHMIR in Hindi [2007]
GAUTAMA BUDDHA AND THE DHAMMAPADA in English & Hindi [2007]
GANDHIAN THOUGHT: NEW WORLD, NEW DIMENSIONS in English & Hindi [2008]
INDIA AND MAHATMA GANDHI in English & Hindi [2009]
PEACE PHILOSOPHY IN ACTION in English [2010]
Part Time Teaching at the Department of Political Science, SDPG College, Muzaffar Nagar (Meerut University), 1982–83
Research Representative, SPNM, Ahmedabad, India, 1985–88
Member Secretary & Editor-in-Chief, VJP Works Committee, 1987–90
Vice-Chancellor, CCS University, Meerut India, 1994
Visiting Scholar/Professor, ADM University, Philippines, 1995
Visiting/Guest Scholar/Professor/Speaker, Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand, between 1995 and 2006
Visiting Scholar/Professor, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, between 1996 and 2003
Visiting Professor, Prince of Songkhla University, Pattani, Thailand, between 1996 and 2001
Visiting Scholar, Institute Kern (Leiden University), The Netherlands, 1997
Visiting Scholar, NIAS University of Copenhagen, Denmark, 1998
Editor-in-Chief, Peace Review – The International Journal of Peace Studies, between 1998 and 2000
Visiting Scholar, Mahachula Buddhist Rajavidyalaya University, Bangkok, Thailand 1998 and 2004
Visiting Professor/Scholar, Odense University, Denmark, between 1998 and 1999
Visiting Professor/Scholar, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakorn Pathom, Thailand, between 1998 and 2008
Visiting Professor, St. Petersburg State University, Russia, 1999
Visiting Scholar, Oriental Culture Academy, Bangkok, Thailand, between 2001 and 2004
Visiting Professor for a Peace and Development Studies Programme of UNESCO at University Jaume-I, Costello, Spain, 2001
Editor, Global Peace – An International Journal of Philosophy, Peace, Education, Culture and Civilization, since 2001
Visiting Professor/Scholar, Aarhus University, Denmark, 2001
Visiting Professor/Scholar, Aalborg University, Denmark, 2001
Visiting Scholar, Mumbai Hindi Vidyapeeth, Mumbai, India, 2001
Visiting/Guest Professor/Scholar, Centro Studi Sereno Regis and the University of Torino, Northern Italy, 2002
Visiting Scholar, Gandhi-Information-Zentrum, Berlin, Germany, 2003
Visiting/Guest Speaker/Professor/Scholar, University of Vienna, Austria, 2003
Visiting Scholar/Professor, Silpakorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, 2003
Visiting/Guest Speaker, Academy for World Watch, Shanghai, People's Republic of China, 2004
Visiting Professor, Malaya University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2005
Visiting/Guest Professor, Mahapanya Mahavidyalaya Buddhist College, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Southern Thailand 2005
Visiting/Guest Speaker for All India University Camp at the Institute of Gandhian Studies, Wardha, India, for 2005– 2006
Visiting/Guest Speaker/Professor, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand, 2006
Visiting Professor/Scholar, Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, Suphanburi, Suphanburi, Thailand, between 2006 and 2008
Visiting/Guest Professor/Speaker, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand, 2006
Columnist of Asian Equations for UPI-Asia Online of the United Press International, Hong Kong (China) since May 2007
Visiting Professor/Guest Speaker, Phranakhon Si Ayutthaya Rajabhat University, Si Ayutthaya, Thailand, 2007
Visiting/Guest Professor/Speaker, Siam University, Bangkok, Thailand, 2007
Visiting Professor, Udon Thani Rajabhat University, Udon Thani, Thailand, 2007
Visiting/Guest Speaker, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, USA, 2007
Guest Speaker, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat, India, 2008
Chief and Guest Speaker, BVGM Arts & Commerce College [of the SNDT University], Bhavnagar, Gujarat India, 2008
Guest Speaker, Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India, 2008
Guest/Visiting Speaker, Gandhi Centre, (Autonomous), Vishakhapatnam, New Gandhi Centre (of the Andhra Pradesh University) and Centre for the Study of Gandhian Philosophy and Human Development, GVPDC, Vishakhapatnam, AP, India, 2008
Guest Speaker/Professor, Dhonburi Rajabhat University, Dhonburi, Thailand, 2008
Guest Speaker/Professor, The World Buddhist University, Bangkok, Thailand, 2008
Guest Speaker, Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, Bangkok, Thailand, 2008
Guest Speaker, North Bengal University, Raja Rammohunpur, Darjeeling, India, 2009
Visiting Professor/Guest Speaker, Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand, 2009
Guest Speaker/Visiting Scholar, Kasetsart University, Thailand, 2009
Visiting/Guest Professor/Speaker, Rambhai Barni Rajabhat University, Chanthaburi, Thailand, 2009
Guest Speaker/ Visiting Scholar, SNDT University, Mumbai, India, 2010
Guest Speaker/ Visiting Scholar, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India, 2010
Guest Speaker/Visiting Scholar, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India, 2010
Editor, Shanti Ke Pahlu, A Hindi Magazine, Published Occasionally by WPMT, since 2010
Guest Speaker, Assumption University, Bangkok, Thailand, 2010
Guest Speaker/Visiting Scholar, Rajamangala University, Salaya, Thailand, 2010
Guest Speaker/Visiting Scholar, The King Prajadhipok's Institute [KPI], Bangkok, Thailand, 2010
Guest Speaker/Visiting Scholar, Institute of Bunditpattanasilapa, Nokornpathom, Thailand, 2010
Guest Speaker/Visiting Scholar, Burapha University, Bangsaen,Chonburi, Thailand, 2010
Guest Speaker/Visiting Scholar, Mahidol Adulyadej Navy Dockyard of the Royal Thai Navy, Sattahip, Chonburi, Thailand, 2010
Guest Speaker, Swami Vivekananda Subharati University, Meerut [U.P.], India, 2010
Guest Speaker/Visiting Scholar, Calcutta University, Kolkata [West Bengal], India, 2011
Visiting Scholar/Guest Speaker, Autonomic Latin-American University, Colombia [South America], 2011
Visiting Scholar/Guest Speaker, University of Antioquia, Columbia [South America], 2011
Visiting Scholar/Guest Speaker, EAFIT University, Columbia [South America], 2011
Visiting Scholar/Guest Speaker, Faith and Cultures Center, Columbia [South America], 2011
Visiting Scholar/Guest Speaker, Pontificia Bolivariana University, Columbia [South America], 2011
Visiting Scholar/Guest Speaker, Mahamakut University, Salaya, Thailand, 2011
Visiting Scholar, The Rajadhivas, Dusit, Thailand, 2011
Visiting Scholar/Guest Speaker, Baise University CSN, Thailand, 2011
Member, Executive Council, Meerut University, Meerut, India, between 1993 and 1994
Member, Executive Council, MD University, Rohtak, India, between 1994 and 1996
Vice-Chancellor, CCS University, India, 1994
Member, Senate, Gandhigram Rural Institute Deemed University, Tamil Nadu, India, between 1994 and 1997
Life Fellow, United Writers’ Association, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India since 1997
Consultant to UNUP, CR., CA. for Gandhian Studies 2000
Founder and Secretary General, World Peace Movement Trust since 2001
Member, Gandhi-Information-Zentrum, Berlin, Germany since 2001
Life Member, International Film & Television Research Centre, Noida, India since 2006
Honorary Advisor, Peace Education Academy of Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal since 2006
Member, Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children, London, UK since 2006
Honorary Advisor, Institute For Inspiration & Self Development, Kolkata, India since 2006
Member, Advisory Board, Media For Freedom, USA since 2007
Member, Indian Language Newspapers Association [ILNA], India since 2009
Member, Asia-Pacific Peace Research Association, Since 2009
Member, Action Asia, since 2009
Patron, Stallion College for Engineering and Technology, Chhutmalpur, Saharanpur, India since 2010
Member, Gandhi Serve Foundation, Germany since 2010
Member, National Executive, Indian Language Newspapers Association [ILNA], India 2010
1993: Meerut Ratna
1998: Nirala Smriti Samman
2001: Padma Shri for Literature and Education
2003: Shan-I-Kaum
2004: Shantidoot
2005: Ambassador for Peace
2006: Sardar Patel National Award
2008: Master of Wisdom
2010: Peace Messenger
2010: Peace Envoy
