Shovon at 08:37, 3 February 2026

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[[File:Neeru Yadav New.jpg|thumb]]
'''Neeru Yadav''' is an Indian elected [[Sarpanch]] of Lambi Ahir village in the [[Jhunjhunu district]] of [[Rajasthan]].<ref name="auto">{{Cite news |date=24 May 2023 |title=Neeru Yadav, the "Hockey wali Sarpanch": A dynamic leader igniting change and development in rural Rajasthan |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/neeru-yadav-the-hockey-wali-sarpanch-a-dynamic-leader-igniting-change-and-development-in-rural-rajasthan/articleshow/100473072.cms |work=The Times of India |access-date=7 September 2025 |language=en}}</ref> She is popularly known as the "Hockey Wali Sarpanch" for promoting girls' hockey in rural Rajasthan.<ref name="auto5">{{Cite news |date=3 December 2022 |title=Rajasthan Sarpanch hailed for her women empowerment initiatives |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/rajasthan-sarpanch-hailed-for-her-women-empowerment-initiatives/article66219194.ece |work=The Hindu |access-date=7 September 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Neeru Yadav was born in [[Narnaul]], [[Haryana]] and later moved to Chhapra Salimpur. She completed a Master of Science in Mathematics in 2013.<ref name="auto" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Who is Neeru Yadav? 'Hockey Wali Sarpanch' Who Transformed Village With Her Incredible Ideas |url=https://thebetterindia.com/web-stories/who-is-neeru-yadav-hockey-wali-sarpanch-who-transformed-village-with-her-incredible-ideas/ |website=The Better India |access-date=7 September 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

==Career==

===Panchayat leadership===
Yadav became the first woman [[Sarpanch]] of Lambi Ahir village in 2020, winning the election with 1,240 votes.<ref name="auto" /><ref name="auto5" /> She reinvested her sarpanch salary into community development and faced initial skepticism and societal barriers common for women leaders in rural India.<ref name="auto3">{{Cite web |title=Hockey Wali Sarpanch: Meet Neeru Yadav, who is breaking stereotypes with her pathbreaking work as village head in Rajasthan |url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/hockey-wali-sarpanch-meet-neeru-yadav-who-is-breaking-stereotypes-with-her-pathbreaking-work-as-village-head-in-rajasthan |website=Free Press Journal |access-date=7 September 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="auto4">{{Cite news |date=7 January 2023 |title='Hockey Wali Sarpanch' inks pact with NABARD to strengthen farmers |url=https://www.livemint.com/industry/agriculture/hockey-wali-sarpanch-inks-pact-with-nabard-to-strengthen-farmers-in-rajasthan-s-village-11673064418489.html |website=Mint |access-date=7 September 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

===Girls' hockey===
A former teenage hockey player herself, Yadav formed a girls' hockey team, funding uniforms, coaching, and a dedicated playground using her own salary over two years.<ref name="auto" /><ref name="auto5" />The team has competed and won at [[Panchayati raj]] block and [[District]] levels, and several players have progressed to the [[State]] level.<ref name="auto" /> Her long-term vision includes expanding the team to compete at the national level.

===Education and skill development===
Yadav has promoted vocational and academic advancement for girls, with several trainees placed in jobs after skill development programmes under the [[Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana]].<ref name="auto" />

===Agricultural initiatives===
In January 2023, she established the Sachhi Saheli Mahila Agro Producer Company Limited, an all-women Farmers' Producer Organisation (FPO) that provides subsidized [[Agricultural seeds]], [[Fertilizer]] and agricultural support to local farmers.<ref name="auto4" /> She signed a memorandum of understanding with the [[National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development]] (NABARD) to improve market access for farmers and reduce dependency on intermediaries.<ref name="auto" />

===Sustainability and environmental initiatives===
Yadav launched multiple sustainability campaigns, including the "Garbage-Free Marriage Functions" initiative which provided free steel utensils to reduce plastic use and promoted composting of organic waste for farmers.<ref name="auto" /> She also spearheaded the "Mera Ped Mera Dost" programme, distributing over 21,000 saplings through government schools.<ref name="auto5" /> Additionally, she introduced a community "Bartan Bank", enabling villagers to borrow steel kitchen utensils to minimise single-use plastic consumption.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite news |date=16 September 2023 |title=Amitabh Bachchan played hockey with Neeru Yadav on the sets of KBC |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/life/entertainment/amitabh-bachchan-played-hockey-with-neeru-yadav-on-the-sets-of-kbc/3245693/ |work=The Financial Express |access-date=7 September 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

===Financial inclusion===
Yadav partnered with the [[State Bank of India]] to improve financial literacy among rural women, promoting initiatives such as the [[Sukanya Samriddhi Account]], digital payments including UPI adoption, and women's financial empowerment.<ref name="auto5" /><ref name="auto3" />

===Media appearances===
Yadav was invited as a chief guest on [[Kaun Banega Crorepati]] Season 15 in September 2023, where she played hockey with host [[Amitabh Bachchan]] and won approximately ₹6.5 lakh, which she pledged towards women's empowerment and girls' education initiatives in her village.<ref name="auto2" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=23 June 2023 |title='Hockeywali sarpanch' leads young women in Rajasthan village dribble past convention |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/hockeywali-sarpanch-leads-young-women-in-jhunjhunu-village-dribble-past-convention/articleshow/101205778.cms |work=The Times of India |access-date=7 September 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=28 September 2023 |title=Chhavi Rajawat, Neeru Yadav: Two Women Sarpanches To Face Tough Questions From Amitabh Bachchan |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/chhavi-rajawat-neeru-yadav-two-women-sarpanches-to-face-tough-questions-from-amitabh-bachchan-4378613 |work=NDTV |access-date=7 September 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

===Recognition===
In September 2023, Yadav was honoured by the Government of Rajasthan's education department for contributions to school-infrastructure and educational initiatives.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Neeru Yadav: जानें कौन हैं 'हॉकी वाली सरपंच', जिनके काम की अमिताभ बच्चन ने भी की तारीफ |url=https://www.amarujala.com/photo-gallery/shakti/who-is-the-hockey-wali-sarpanch-know-about-neeru-yadav-hard-work-and-journey-2023-09-16 |website=Amar Ujala |date=16 September 2023 |language=hi}}</ref>

In May 2024, Yadav represented India at the 57th session of the [[United Nations Commission on Population and Development]] (CPD57) in [[New York City]], where she participated in the side event "Localizing the SDGs: Women in Local Governance in India Lead the Way." She highlighted her initiatives in sports, education, agriculture, financial inclusion and environmental sustainability.<ref>{{Cite news |date=26 April 2023 |title=Women in Panchayati Raj Institutions to take part in UN session |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/women-in-panchayati-raj-institutions-to-take-part-in-un-session/articleshow/99905211.cms |work=The Times of India |access-date=7 September 2025 |language=en |issn=0971-8257}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Indian Women Leaders Spotlight at CPD57 |url=https://india.un.org/en/269474-indian-women-leaders-spotlight-cpd57 |website=United Nations India |access-date=7 September 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Women in India]]
*[[Panchayati raj in India]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://wiki.kidzsearch.com/wiki/Neeru_Yadav KidzSearch Wiki – Neeru Yadav profile]{{Dead link|date=November 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }} (informational only, not always considered a reliable source)

Neeru Yadav - Revision history

Shovon at 08:37, 3 February 2026