Cheruvayal Raman, Padma Shri rice conservationist, dies at 74
Why in the news
Cheruvayal Raman, the Padma Shri-winning tribal farmer known as the seed keeper of Wayanad, died on 14 October 2026 at the age of 74 after a brief illness.
Key facts
- Community: belonged to the Kurichya Scheduled Tribe; farmed at Kammana near Mananthavady, Wayanad, Kerala.
- Seed bank: conserved over 60 traditional rice varieties – Down To Earth counts 64 (50 native to Wayanad, 14 from elsewhere in Kerala); other reports give 45 to 63.
- Method: grew each variety in separate plots, saved seed every season and shared it free with fellow farmers, mainly tribal households.
- Organic farming: gave up chemical fertilisers in 1978.
- Started guarding the seeds at 17, after his maternal uncle’s death.
| Recognition | Details |
|---|---|
| Padma Shri | 2023 |
| Plant Genome Saviour Award | Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority |
| Green Individual award | Kerala State Biodiversity Board, 2012 |
| Oommen Chandy memorial award | First recipient; ₹5 lakh, announced August 2026 |
| Professor of Practice | Kerala Agricultural University |
About his work
Wayanad once grew an estimated 160 indigenous rice varieties, many of which have disappeared. Raman’s three-acre farm became a living gene bank, and he estimated the yearly cost of maintaining it at about ₹70,000.
Exam angle
- In-situ, farmer-led conservation of crop genetic diversity.
- Plant Genome Saviour Award is given under the PPV&FR framework.
- Kurichya: a Scheduled Tribe of Kerala’s Malabar region.