Jageshwar Yadav
A Chhattisgarh social worker who has helped the Birhor tribal community settle, farm and send children to school, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.
Jageshwar Yadav is a social worker known for his work with the Birhor, a small tribal community in Chhattisgarh. He was named for the Padma Shri in 2024 in the field of social work, from Chhattisgarh [1].
Working with the Birhor
Yadav was born on 10 October 1955 [2]. Since 1980 he has worked with Birhor families, who once lived by moving from place to place and hunting [2].
He helped them obtain farmland, tools and leases on forest land, and many Birhor families now live in permanent homes and earn their living through farming and labour [2].
Schools and health
He has encouraged Birhor parents to send their children to school and worked with the government to open schools; girls in particular have taken to studying, and some young people now hold government jobs [2]. He set up an ashram in the village and, with government help, an ashram school [2].
He has also helped families get access to government services and health care, and has led campaigns against addiction and for cleanliness and tree planting [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2024: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 15 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2024: citation for Jageshwar Yadav — Padma Awards, Government of India. Accessed 15 October 2026.
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