Purnima Devi Barman Age, Wiki and Bio

Purnima Devi Barman

Quick Info

ProfessionWildlife Biologist
NationalityIndian
Date of Birth24/11/1979
Age45 years
BirthplacePub Majir Gaon, Kamrup, Assam

Bio/Wiki

Earned name(s)
  • Hargila Baido
  • Stork Sister

Physical Stats & More

Eye ColorBlack
Hair ColorBlack

Educational Qualification(s)

Degrees
  • Masters in Zoology with a specialization in Ecology and Wildlife Biology
  • PhD (2019)
College/UniversityGauhati University, Assam

Personal Life

ReligionHinduism
Food HabitVegetarian
HometownKamrup, Assam
Zodiac signSagittarius

Relationships & More

Marital StatusMarried
Marriage Date2 December
HusbandRathin Barman

Family

FatherFormer Army officer
MotherHomemaker
SiblingsShe has siblings.
SpouseRathin Barman
Children2 (twins): Sampriti (Hiya) Barman, Sanskriti (Pahi) Barman

Career

Achievements
  • Future conservationist award (2009)
  • Leadership Award from the Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) (2015)
  • UNDP India Biodiversity Award from the United Nations (2016)
  • Balipara Foundation Green Guru Award (2016)
  • Bharat Sanchar Roll of Honour from BSNL (2017)
  • FIICI FLO Women Achiever Award from North East (2017)
  • Nari Shakti Puraskar (2017)
  • Whitley Award (2017)
  • Sri Sathya Sai Human Excellence Award
  • UN Environment Programme’s Champions of the Earth award (2022)
  • GBP 1,00,000 Whitley Gold Award (2024)
  • Named one of Time’s Women of the Year (2025)
Career OverviewPurnima 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.

Favourites

Recreational Activities
  • Photography
  • Traveling to distant places
PetsHas a pet dog named Pili

Style Quotient

Public SpeakingShe is often invited to deliver motivational lectures.

Social Media

Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/storksister/
Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/StorkSister
Twitterhttps://x.com/StorkSister
LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/purnima-barman-64a91652/

Some Lesser Known Facts

At the age of five, Purnima was sent to live with her grandmother near the Brahmaputra River, where she developed a love for birds.
She began educating villagers on the importance of greater adjutant storks, pausing her PhD research to do so.
Purnima founded the Hargila Army, empowering women in rural Assam to protect the storks and educate their communities about conservation.
She has organized various community events, including celebrations for people with stork nests, turning conservation into a cultural event.
Purnima has published multiple case studies on conservation initiatives and has gained international recognition for her work.