Mahendra Kumar Mishra

Mahendra Kumar Mishra has spent more than forty years helping tribal children learn in their own languages, and recording the stories and songs of their communities. In 2026 he was named for the Padma Shri in the field of literature and education, from Odisha ^[1].

From Kalahandi

Mishra was born on 1 April 1952 in Kalahandi, a district with a large tribal population ^[2]. He studied at Sambalpur University and earned his PhD in 1987 ^[2]. He joined Odisha’s elementary education directorate, where he coordinated education for Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes ^[2].

Learning in the mother tongue

Between 1996 and 2012 he led Odisha’s multilingual education programme in 21 tribal languages, using children’s home languages and culture as the starting point for learning ^[2]. The work later spread to Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Assam through the Language and Learning Foundation ^[2]. His teacher-training programme Rupantar prepares teachers to teach in children’s mother tongues ^[2]. He describes the approach in his 2023 book Erai Erai ^[2].

Oral traditions

He has collected and published the oral epics, songs and tales of the Gond, Santal, Kondh, Saora, Paharia, Banjara and other communities ^[2]. His books include Oral Epics of Kalahandi (2007) and Saora Tales and Songs (2005), and he has translated Finland’s national epic, the Kalevala, into Odia ^[2]. He has advised Nepal on multilingual education policy ^[2].

In 2023 he received UNESCO’s International Mother Language Award, the first Indian to win it, according to his citation ^[2]. He also received Finland’s Kalevala award in 2002 ^[2].