DemetriaMunro at 09:09, 28 March 2026

2026-03-28T09:09:09Z

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{{short description|Indian farmer and businesswoman}}
{{About|the Indian farmer and businesswoman|the Nepalese politician|Bina Devi (Nepalese politician)}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Bina Devi
| image = Bina Devi (cropped).jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = Bina in 2020
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{circa|1977}}
| birth_place = [[Munger]], [[Bihar]], [[India]]
| death_date =
| death_place =
| other_names =
| occupation = [[Sarpanch]], entrepreneur
| years_active =
| spouse =
| children =
| relatives =
| awards = [[Nari Shakti Puraskar]]
}}

'''Bina Devi''' (born {{circa|1977}}) is an Indian leader who became known for inspiring women to become businesswoman through [[mushroom cultivation]].<ref name="icar">{{cite web|url=https://kvk.icar.gov.in/past_image_video.aspx?eventid=d869d7a5-2ecc-401b-ae42-4a1ad0619bd7|website=kvk.icar.gov.in|title=Krishi Vigyan Kendra Knowledge Network|accessdate=2020-03-12}}{{Dead link|date=July 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
Nicknamed 'Mushroom Mahila' for popularising mushroom cultivation, Bina Devi gained respect and became the [[Sarpanch]] of Dhauri Panchayat, Tetiabamber block for five years. She has trained farmers on mushroom and [[organic farming]], [[vermicompost]] production and organic [[insecticide]] preparation.

==Early life==
Bina Devi is from a small village named [[Tilkari, Munger|Tilkari]] and she was born in about 1977.<ref name=fame>{{Cite web|url=http://www.patnabeats.com/bihars-daughter-bina-devi-famous-as-mushroom-mahila-was-awarded-the-nari-shakti-award/|title=Bihar's daughter, Bina Devi famous as Mushroom Mahila was awarded the Nari Shakti Award|last=Agarwal|first=Rishika|date=2020-03-17|website=PatnaBeats|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-09|archive-date=2020-04-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200403111759/http://www.patnabeats.com/bihars-daughter-bina-devi-famous-as-mushroom-mahila-was-awarded-the-nari-shakti-award/|url-status=dead}}</ref> She belongs to the [[Bind caste]].

==Career==
Devi grew a small amount of mushrooms under her own bed and this made her realise that this was an opportunity.<ref name=fame/>

Devi had engaged in [[dairy farming]] and [[goat farming]] but she became known for inspiring [[Self-employment|self employment]] among rural women. She has popularized mushroom production in five blocks and 105 neighbouring villages in the [[Munger district]], impacting 1,500 women by supporting them while they adopted mushroom farming.<ref name=get>{{Cite web|title=Get out, work yourself: ''Mushroom Mahila'' message to women|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/get-out-work-yourself-mushroom-mahila-message-to-women/1755757|access-date=2021-01-05|website=www.outlookindia.com/}}</ref>

[[File:Shri Narendra Modi with the Nari Shakti Awardees, in New Delhi on March 08, 2020.jpg|thumb|left|Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] with the Nari Shakti Awardees on [[International Women's Day]] in 2020.]]

She has been involved in spreading [[digital literacy]] and trained 700 women in how to use a mobile phone funded by Tata Trusts. She has trained 2,500 farmers on SRI Method crop farming and supported the formulation of self help groups.<ref name=get/>

Bina Devi became the seventh woman after Chennai-based social worker [[Sneha Mohandoss]], [[bomb blast]] survivor [[Malvika Iyer]], [[Kashmiri Numdha]], handicraft revival worker [[Arifa Jan]], [[Kalpana Ramesh]] urban water conservationist, Maharashtra Banjara handicraft promotor [[Vijaya Pawar]] and lady mason [[Kalavati Devi]] to handle the Prime Minister's account on [[International Women's Day|Women's Day]].<ref name="indianewengland">{{cite web|url=https://indianewengland.com/2020/03/get-out-work-yourself-mushroom-mahila-message-to-women/|title=Get out, work yourself: 'Mushroom Mahila' message to women {{pipe}} INDIA New England News|website=indianewengland.com|accessdate=2020-03-12|archive-date=2020-03-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200309021324/https://indianewengland.com/2020/03/get-out-work-yourself-mushroom-mahila-message-to-women/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On March 9, 2020, she was awarded with [[Nari Shakti Puraskar]] by President [[Ram Nath Kovind]].<ref name="bhaskarhindi">{{cite web|url=https://www.bhaskarhindi.com/national/news/womens-day-2020-president-kovind-awarded-nari-shakti-puraskar-to-bina-devi-and-many-women-113590|author=Dainik Bhaskar Hindi|title=Women's Day 2020: President Kovind awarded Nari Shakti Puraskar to Bina Devi and many women {{pipe}} Women's Day 2020: 103 वर्षीय मान कौर को नारी शक्ति पुरस्कार, 'मशरूम महिला' भी सम्मानित - दैनिक भास्कर हिंदी|website=bhaskarhindi.com|date=8 March 2020 |accessdate=2020-03-12}}</ref>

[[File:Bina Devi's award.jpg|70px|thumb|left|Bina Devi showing her award certificate]]
[[File:BinaFarming.ogg|70px|thumb|Bina devi showing the mushroom's in her farm]]

Referring to her own mushroom cultivation, she said: "Due to this farming, I got respect. I became a [[sarpanch]] of Dhauri Panchayat in Bihar.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) on X |url=https://twitter.com/smritiirani/status/1236579836342046720?lang=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231226061114/https://twitter.com/smritiirani/status/1236579836342046720?lang=en |archive-date=2023-12-26 |access-date=2025-11-13 |work=X (formerly Twitter) |language=en}}</ref> It is a pleasure for me that many women like myself are getting the opportunity to train."<ref name=get/>

Recently she was also awarded with 'Pratibha Samman' at the Matri Shakti Sammelan in Munger, Bihar. The event was organized at Lakhisarai, Munger on December 25, 2023.

==References==
{{reflist|1}}

{{Nari Shakti Puraskar}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Devi, Bina}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1977 births]]
[[Category:Indian women farmers]]
[[Category:Nari Shakti Puraskar winners]]
[[Category:People from Bihar]]
[[Category:21st-century women farmers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian farmers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian farmers]]
[[Category:20th-century women farmers]]

Bina Devi - Revision history

DemetriaMunro at 09:09, 28 March 2026