Neeru Yadav
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Neeru Yadav is an Indian elected Sarpanch of Lambi Ahir village in the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan.[1] She is popularly known as the "Hockey Wali Sarpanch" for promoting girls' hockey in rural Rajasthan.[2]
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.[1][3]
Career
Panchayat leadership
Yadav became the first woman Sarpanch of Lambi Ahir village in 2020, winning the election with 1,240 votes.[1][2] She reinvested her sarpanch salary into community development and faced initial skepticism and societal barriers common for women leaders in rural India.[4][5]
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.[1][2]The team has competed and won at Panchayati raj block and District levels, and several players have progressed to the State level.[1] 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.[1]
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.[5] 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.[1]
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.[1] She also spearheaded the "Mera Ped Mera Dost" programme, distributing over 21,000 saplings through government schools.[2] Additionally, she introduced a community "Bartan Bank", enabling villagers to borrow steel kitchen utensils to minimise single-use plastic consumption.[6]
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.[2][4]
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.[6][7][8]
Recognition
In September 2023, Yadav was honoured by the Government of Rajasthan's education department for contributions to school-infrastructure and educational initiatives.[9]
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.[10][11]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Template:Cite news
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Template:Cite news
- ↑ "Who is Neeru Yadav? 'Hockey Wali Sarpanch' Who Transformed Village With Her Incredible Ideas" (in en). https://thebetterindia.com/web-stories/who-is-neeru-yadav-hockey-wali-sarpanch-who-transformed-village-with-her-incredible-ideas/.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Hockey Wali Sarpanch: Meet Neeru Yadav, who is breaking stereotypes with her pathbreaking work as village head in Rajasthan" (in en). https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/hockey-wali-sarpanch-meet-neeru-yadav-who-is-breaking-stereotypes-with-her-pathbreaking-work-as-village-head-in-rajasthan.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Template:Cite news
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Template:Cite news
- ↑ Template:Cite news
- ↑ Template:Cite news
- ↑ "Neeru Yadav: जानें कौन हैं 'हॉकी वाली सरपंच', जिनके काम की अमिताभ बच्चन ने भी की तारीफ" (in hi). 16 September 2023. https://www.amarujala.com/photo-gallery/shakti/who-is-the-hockey-wali-sarpanch-know-about-neeru-yadav-hard-work-and-journey-2023-09-16.
- ↑ Template:Cite news
- ↑ "Indian Women Leaders Spotlight at CPD57" (in en). https://india.un.org/en/269474-indian-women-leaders-spotlight-cpd57.
External links
- KidzSearch Wiki – Neeru Yadav profileTemplate:Dead link (informational only, not always considered a reliable source)