ANOTHER FEATHER ON MILLET QUEEN'S HAT, A DOCTORATE DEGREE

Raimati Ghiuria's contribution to preservation of endangered varieties of rice and millets won her the honorary doctorate from OUAT earlier this week. She continues to conserve native seeds and facilitate an organic farming movement, writes Diana Sahu

- Diana Sahu

RESSED in a convocation robe, Raimati Ghiuria's face lit up when President Droupadi Murmu conferred on her the honorary doctorate at OUAT's 40th convocation earlier this week. The 'Mandia Rani' - a moniker that she has earned for preserving traditional rice and millet strains - is the first farmer from Bhumia tribal community to earn the honorary doctorate, the highest form of recognition a university can award to an individual.

For Raimati, a native of Nuaguda village of Koraput district who has so far preserved close to 40 varieties of millets and 80 paddy land races, the recognition is a significant one. Because she has studied only till Class 7 and never entered any college to learn about organic farming and crops.