Quick Info
| Profession | Wildlife Biologist |
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| Nationality | Indian |
| Date of Birth | 24/11/1979 |
| Age | 46 years |
| Birthplace | Pub Majir Gaon, Kamrup, Assam |
Latest News about Purnima Devi Barman
2025
Purnima Devi Barman was named one of Time Magazine's Women of the Year 2025, recognized as one of only 13 women globally for her exceptional conservation efforts. She was honored for her work protecting the endangered greater adjutant stork and for founding the Hargila Army, which has mobilized over 20,000 women across multiple countries to participate in stork conservation and community education initiatives.
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Bio/Wiki
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Physical Stats & More
| Eye Color | Black |
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| Hair Color | Black |
Educational Qualification(s)
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| College/University | Gauhati University, Assam |
Personal Life
| Religion | Hinduism |
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| Food Habit | Vegetarian |
Relationships & More
| Marital Status | Married |
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| Marriage Date | 2 December |
| Husband | Rathin Barman |
Family
| Father | Former Army officer |
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| Siblings | She has siblings. |
| Spouse | Rathin Barman |
| Children | 2 (twins): Sampriti (Hiya) Barman, Sanskriti (Pahi) Barman |
Career
| Achievements |
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| Career Overview | Purnima Devi Barman has dedicated her life to the conservation of the greater adjutant stork in Assam, India. She is the Senior Project Manager of the Avifauna Research and Conservation Division at Aaranyak, where she leads initiatives to protect this endangered species. Through her innovative community engagement programs, she has successfully fostered a cultural respect for the stork, transforming perceptions from that of a pest to a celebrated species in local traditions. Under her leadership, the greater adjutant stork population in Assam has quadrupled from approximately 450 birds in 2007 to over 1,800 by 2023, resulting in the species being reclassified from endangered to near threatened status by the IUCN. |
| Current Position | Director of Species Restoration & Community Climate Education at Rewilding Academy; Senior Project Manager of the Avifauna Research and Conservation Division at Aaranyak |
| Founder | Hargila Army (all-female conservation initiative with over 20,000 members) |
Favourites
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| Pets | Has a pet dog named Pili |
Style Quotient
| Public Speaking | She is often invited to deliver motivational lectures and is a TEDx speaker. |
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Social Media
| https://www.instagram.com/storksister/ | |
| https://www.facebook.com/StorkSister | |
| https://x.com/StorkSister | |
| https://www.linkedin.com/in/purnima-barman-64a91652/ |
Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. At the age of five, Purnima was sent to live with her grandmother near the Brahmaputra River, where she developed a love for birds. | |
| 2. She began educating villagers on the importance of greater adjutant storks, pausing her PhD research to do so. | |
| 3. Purnima founded the Hargila Army, empowering women in rural Assam to protect the storks and educate their communities about conservation. | |
| 4. She has organized various community events, including celebrations for people with stork nests, turning conservation into a cultural event. | |
| 5. Purnima has published multiple case studies on conservation initiatives and has gained international recognition for her work. | |
| 6. She leads the Women in Nature (WiNN) chapter in India. | |
| 7. She is a member of the IUCN Stork, Ibis and Spoonbill Specialist Group. | |
| 8. Her pivotal moment came in 2007 when she received a call that a tree housing a family of greater adjutant storks was being chopped down; she rescued a nest of endangered baby storks, which inspired her lifelong mission. | |
| 9. The Hargila Army has expanded beyond Assam to include members throughout India and Cambodia. | |
| 10. Members of the Hargila Army create traditional clothing and items decorated with stork imagery, generating income while promoting conservation. | |
| 11. She was featured by National Geographic India. |