Padma Shri awardee Shanti Devi passes away, PM Narendra Modi expresses grief

Shanti Devi, a well-known Gandhian and social worker from Odisha, passed away on late Sunday night at Gunupur in Rayagada district of Odisha. She was 88. She served the poor for six decades in the Maoist-dominated Rayagada district.

Shanti Devi was recently conferred with India’s third highest civilian honor, Padma Shri, by President Ram Nath Kobind for her six decades of service among poor and marginalized sections and upliftment of tribal girls. She was known for her work on the eradication of Yaws, a chronic bacterial infection.

Born on April 18, 1934, in Balasore, Shanti Devi had moved to Koraput after her marriage to Dr Ratan Das at the age of 17. She started her career as a social worker with the support of her husband.