ADVERTISEMENTs
-10”-x-5.jpg)
Purnima Devi Barman, sole Indian on TIME Women of the Year list
The 45-year-old biologist from Assam found a place on the list for her efforts in wildlife conservation.
Purnima Devi Barman / Image - TIME
Indian wildlife conservationist Purnima Devi Barman has been named one of TIME’s Women of the Year for 2025, in recognition of her significant efforts in saving the greater adjutant stork, one of the world’s most endangered birds.
Barman, 45, has spent nearly two decades working to change perceptions of the scavenger bird, locally known as hargila, in Assam, where it was once considered a pest.
Her conservation work began in 2007 when she rescued fallen stork chicks after a nesting tree was cut down. Since then, she has mobilized thousands of women to protect the species, forming the “Hargila Army,” a grassroots movement that has grown to more than 20,000 members.
Her efforts have contributed to a remarkable increase in the stork population in Assam, from an estimated 450 in 2007 to more than 1,800 by 2023. The International Union for Conservation of Nature reclassified the bird from “endangered” to “near threatened” in recognition of these efforts.
Beyond Assam, her impact has spread across India and into Cambodia. Schools in France now teach students about her work, and women in her network have developed a sustainable livelihood by weaving stork motifs into textiles.
Barman joins an elite list of global changemakers honored by TIME this year, highlighting her as a beacon of grassroots activism. “This bird is now a part of our culture and tradition,” she said.
Barman was awarded the Champions of the Earth Award in the Entrepreneurial Vision category, the UN’s highest environmental honor, in 2022. In 2017, she received the Whitley Award for her conservation efforts and the Nari Shakti Puraskar, India’s highest civilian award for women.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
ADVERTISEMENT
.jpg)
Video
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login