Ranjit Chavan has been the current President of All India Institute of Local Self-Government (AIILSG) since April 2015, after having dedicated his services for 3 decades as the Director General of the institute for its functioning and growth. A Civil Engineer by profession, he has served for two terms as the Mayor of Baroda, Gujarat and was also the Chairman of All India Council of Mayors. He brought all the Mayors in the State together under the auspices of Maharashtra Mahapaur Parishad and launched a scheme of Special Awards for committees for Women & Children’s Welfare under Municipal Bodies. He is a pioneer in the field of fire-fighting training in non-government sector and founded the National Fire Academy at Vadodara. Under his leadership, the AIILSG has instituted National Nagar Ratna Awards for Municipal Corporations and Councils in India to recognise their performance in various civic activities. He is currently also the Co- President of the UCLG –ASPAC and is the Vice President, Local Authorities Confronting Disaster & Emergencies (LACDE). He is also a Special Advisor to the Regional Executive Committee of International Cities Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), Canada.