Why is it in the news?
- Deenanath Rajput has recently been awarded with Rohini Nayyar Prize for outstanding contribution to Rural Development.
- This is the second edition of the Rohini Nayyar Prize, created in honour of the economist and administrator, Rohini Nayyar, who passed away in 2021.
About Deenanath Rajput
- Deenanath Rajput, a social worker from Bastar, transformed the lives of over 6,000 tribal women in Chhattisgarh.
- He founded Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) in 2018, starting with 337 women from Jagdalpur in Bastar, an area known for Naxalite activities. The FPO now boasts over 6,000 members spread across four districts.
- The organization aids women farmers by offering agricultural extension services, creating cold storage infrastructure, linking them to national and international markets, and assisting in the diversification to higher value-added products and services.