About Second Circle India

Working towards health equity, together.

Second Circle India is a Section 8 non-profit organisation working towards health equity, dignity and inclusion.

Our work begins with listening to people and communities.

Our mission

Accessible and inclusive healthcare

We are on our mission to promote health equity by working to make healthcare more accessible, inclusive, and responsive to people's needs. We are working to advance health rights through community engagement, research and advocacy.

Our vision

We envision a society where every person can access healthcare, understand and exercise their rights, find supportive communities, and live with dignity without discrimination.

Our approach

Listen

We value lived experience and community knowledge.

Learn

We use evidence and reflection to improve our work.

Act together

We collaborate across communities, organisations and systems.

Our people

People behind the work

Second Circle India is shaped by people who bring technology, communication, health equity and community-centred thinking to the work.

Founder

Karandeep Pupneja

Founder and Executive Director

Karandeep Pupneja is the Founder and Executive Director of Second Circle Project Foundation. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Law and Politics and a Master's degree in Development Studies from Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD). His engagement with social welfare began during his undergraduate years, when he served as the University Level Student Coordinator for the National Service Scheme (NSS). His working experience at the NSS brought him closer to the realities and challenges faced by marginalised communities. The idea for Second Circle Project emerged during his Master's dissertation, where he examined the policy effectiveness of the Targeted Intervention approach in India's HIV/AIDS response. Through his academic and community engagement, Karandeep interacted with people living with HIV and witnessed the discrimination and exclusion they continue to experience, particularly within healthcare and health insurance systems. This work shaped his understanding that while advances in treatment have transformed HIV into a manageable health condition, the challenges faced by people after diagnosis extend far beyond medical care. Access to mental health support, nutrition, social protection, healthcare, insurance, dignity and legal rights remains an essential part of the journey. Karandeep believes that a person is always more than a diagnosis. His work is centred on advancing health equity and building systems of care that are accessible, inclusive and responsive to people's lived realities. He is currently pursuing legal and policy interventions concerning discrimination and unequal access to health insurance for people living with HIV, persons with disabilities and people affected by mental health conditions, including litigation before the Delhi High Court. Karandeep is a strong advocate for social justice and believes that one should never stop helping others. Perhaps that is the least a human being can do to keep humanity alive.

Advisory Board

Our Advisory Board provides perspective and guidance as Second Circle India develops its work.

Shrutanjaya Bhardwaj

Advisory Board Member

Shrutanjaya Bhardwaj is an Advocate-on-Record at the Supreme Court of India and founder of Pravah Law Associates and Solicitors in New Delhi, India. In February 2026, Shrutanjaya secured the first rank in the prestigious Advocate-on-Record examination conducted by the Supreme Court. Shrutanjaya has received his education from prestigious institutions in India and abroad. He completed B.A. LL.B (Hons.) from National Law University, Delhi (NLUD), where he was awarded the Vice Chancellor's Gold Medal for the Best Male Student in the University. He also received an LL.M from University of Michigan Law School, Ann Arbor. Beyond the courtroom, Shrutanjaya is a dedicated researcher and educator. He has served as Visiting Faculty at the National Law University, Delhi (NLUD), the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru (NLSIU), and the Campus Law Centre of the University of Delhi (CLC). In addition, Shrutanjaya has authored numerous widely-cited articles in journals such as the NUJS Law Review, Indian Law Review, Indian Journal of Constitutional Law and the NLUD Journal for Legal Studies. His research often explores the intersection of technology and law, empirical studies on judicial behaviour, and the philosophical foundations of fundamental rights.

Shashank Maheshwari

Advisory Board Member

Shashank Maheshwari is an Assistant Professor at Jindal Global Law School, O.P. Jindal Global University, where he has taught since 2020, currently teaching Moot Court and Trial Advocacy, Legal Methods, and History of Courts, Legislature and Legal Profession. He holds an LLM from National Law University, Delhi, and a B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) from Amity Law School. He has cleared the All India Bar Examination and UGC-NET. His scholarship spans peer-reviewed articles in the Economic and Political Weekly, alongside frequent opinion pieces in The Indian Express, The Print, LiveLaw, and VerfBlog on constitutional and public law issues. He is particularly interested in research on Constitutional Law, Public International Law, with a focus on International Criminal Law and Terrorism.

Mohd Wasil

Advisory Board Member

An engineer-turned-lawyer and Faculty of Law, DU graduate, blending technical precision with sharp legal strategy. Specializes in Patent, Criminal, and Civil Law, offering a unique cross-disciplinary edge to contentious litigation and intellectual property protection.