He campaigned for a pro-poor agenda with policy-makers and the public at large at the local, national and international levels.

In Orissa, he was a member of the State Council on Re-settlement and Rehabilitation. At the National level, he became a member of the National Council set up under the leadership of the Prime Minister on Agrarian reform and the unfinished task of land and land related issues set up at the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. He has been the National Convener of the National Social Watch Coalition, a broad based Civil Society collective which brings out an annual Report on the performance of the key institutions  of governance like the Parliament, Judiciary, Executives and Local self-government.

He has played a key leadership role in the Civil Society sector. He was the Chair person of the Voluntary Action Network of India (VANI) and was the Chair of Sa-Dhan, the national network of community development micro finance institutions. He is still serving on the Board of the Credibility Alliance, a national level network formed to promote accountability and credibility norms within the Civil Society organizations.

He provided the initial leadership of the 'Wada-na Todo' campaign at the National level and steered the agenda including organization of People Summit against poverty. The campaign brings out a citizen report card on the CMP and also used social audit and community score card to monitor various National Development programmes in an attempt to institutionalize the citizen/community led monitoring process of these programmes.

As a senior Visiting Fellow of CIVICUS he spent considerable time in Africa, Latin America, East Asia and North America in 2004/2005 including the Kennedy School of Government at the Harvard University and his publication titled "Civil Society Legitimacy and Accountability-2007" is available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic language.

• Civil Society in Orissa [CYSD (2007)]
• Edited Citizens Report on Governance and Development [National Social Watch Coalition (2006, 2005) Edited.]
• Need for Self assessment/Reflection [Accountability Forum (2004), Institute of Social and Ethical Accountability, U.K.]
• Organisation behaviour: A frame work for Non- Governmental Development Organisation [Chadha, Jagadananda, Lal, CYSD (2003)]
• Volunteerism-Current Scene and prospects [Yojana (December-2001), New Delhi]

He believes that a purposive, cooperative and productive partnership between the State and the Civil Society is essential for lifting people above poverty line. He also believes in a pluralistic democratic, secular society and regime as basic to promoting peoples' participation in development. He also believes in pluralistic democratic, secular society and regime as basic to promoting peoples' participation in development.

Jagadananda was born and raised in Orissa. He traveled extensively representing India in various development forums. His wife, Manjushree is a Special Educator dealing with cerebral Palsy children, his daughter, Poonam is a young HR professional and his son, Kuldip is pursuing his academic programme in a rural University.