Shanti Devi (social worker)

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Shanti Devi (18 April 1934 – 16 January 2022) was an Indian social worker from Odisha. She was born in Balasore district in a landlord family. At 17, she married Dr. Ratan Das and they moved to Koraput. Inspired by Gandhian Vinobha Bhave, she joined the Bhoodan Movement and began helping others. She focused on education for tribal girls and destitute women. In 1964 she founded an ashram at Gobarapalli in Rayagada district and started Seva Samaj in Gunupur. She also opened an ashram for leprosy patients in Jabarguda. Devi worked to bring peace to Maoist-affected areas of Odisha and helped in Sankhalapadar, where Yaws disease was common. She treated thousands of people and the disease was eliminated there.

Awards: She received the Padma Shri in November 2021 from President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan. She also received the Radhanath Rath Peace Award and the Jamnalal Bajaj Award in 1994.

Devi died on 16 January 2022 in Rayagada district hospital at age 87. She is survived by her son Sidharth Das.