Dinanath receives Rohini Nayyar prize for empowering tribal women

New Delhi: Dinanath Rajput of the Chhattisgarh-based Bhumgadi Mahila Krushak Producer Company Limited, an agri-farming company run by women in Naxal-hit areas, has won the second Rohini Nayyar prize.

The prize was announced at a function at the India International Centre on Tuesday. The first Rohini Nayyar prize was given to Nagaland-based Sethrichem Sangtam.

The Rs 10-lakh cash prize was instituted in the memory of former bureaucrat Dr Rohini Nayyar. Rohini had served as the former principal adviser at the erstwhile Planning Commission. She passed away in 2021. The award also comes with a citation and a trophy.

N K Singh, chairman of the 15th Finance Commission, presented the award to the winner. The award is usually given to an individual under 40, who has done exceptional work in the development space.

The jury of Ashok Khosla (founder of Development Alternatives), Rajesh Tandon (founder of PRIA) and Renana Jhabvala (national coordinator, SEWA) and Professor K Seeta Prabhu selected the winner. 

Rajput said Bhumgadi’s work is focused on procurement, farming and sustainable agriculture. “We do skill training with Aadivasi women and try to innovate ways to benefit them to uplift their economic status. The focus is on branding local items and products so that each of these women can sell them overseas and become lakhpatis,” Rajput said.

Some of the innovations at the Jagdalpur-based Bhumgadi include Bastar Cafe, Bastar Bazar, innovation labs, etc.

Rajput said that the support from the award will help them in a long way.