▁West ▁Beng al ▁and ▁P un j ab . ▁His ▁uncle , ▁Vin od ▁P ande , ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁former ▁Governor ▁and ▁a ▁Cab inet ▁Secretary ▁and ▁his ▁sister - in - law , ▁Mr inal ▁P ande , ▁is ▁a ▁Pad ma ▁Sh ri ▁award ▁winning ▁journalist ▁and ▁the ▁author ▁of ▁The ▁Other ▁Country : ▁Dis patch es ▁from ▁the ▁M of uss il . ▁His ▁school ing ▁was ▁at ▁The ▁Do on ▁School , ▁the ▁De hr ad un ▁based ▁premier ▁educational ▁institution , ▁and ▁graduated ▁in ▁Engineering ▁from ▁the ▁Indian ▁Institute ▁of ▁Technology , ▁Del hi , ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 . ▁Later , ▁moving ▁to ▁Cambridge , ▁he ▁secured ▁a ▁master ' s ▁degree ▁from ▁the ▁Massachusetts ▁Institute ▁of ▁Technology ▁( MIT ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁ ▁Return ing ▁to ▁India , ▁he ▁worked ▁in ▁various ▁places , ▁including ▁at ▁Cad bury ' s , ▁but ▁shift ed ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁US ▁to ▁purs ue ▁his ▁doctor al ▁studies ▁and ▁gained ▁a ▁doctor al ▁degree ▁( Ph D ) ▁from ▁Pur due ▁University ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁E sch ew ing ▁a ▁regular ▁job , ▁he ▁went ▁to ▁his ▁ancest ral ▁town ▁of ▁Al m ora , ▁a ▁h illy ▁region ▁in ▁U tt ar ak hand , ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁where ▁he ▁started ▁a ▁non ▁government al ▁organization , ▁U tt ar ak hand ▁Se va ▁N id hi ▁P ary av aran ▁Sh