Aryatheautistic at 11:19, 19 April 2026

2026-04-19T11:19:20Z

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{{short description|Indian politician and social entrepreneur}}
{{Family name hatnote|Kense|lang=Angami}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Hekani Jakhalu Kense
| image = Ram Nath Kovind presenting the Nari Shakti Puruskar for the year 2018 to Ms. Hekani Jakhalu H2019030865836.jpg
| caption = Hekani Jakhalu receiving the 2018 [[Nari Shakti Puruskar]] award
| birth_name = Hekani Jakhalu
| birth_date = {{Birth date text|1976}} (age {{age|1976|1|1}}–{{age|1976|12|31}})
| birth_place = Toluvi, [[Dimapur]], [[Nagaland]]
| office = Member of the [[Nagaland Legislative Assembly]]
| term_start = 2 March 2023
| constituency = [[Dimapur III Assembly constituency|Dimapur III]]
| education = [[Bishop Cotton Girls' School]]
| alma_mater = {{plainlist|
* [[Lady Shri Ram College]] {{small|([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])}}
* [[University of Delhi]] {{small|([[Bachelor of Laws|LLB]])}}
* [[University of San Francisco]] {{small|([[Master of Laws|LLM]])}}
}}
| occupation = [[Politician]] • [[Social entrepreneurship|Social entrepreneur]]
| awards = [[Nari Shakti Puruskar]]
| years_active =
| spouse = Kevilezo Kense
| children = 2
| party = [[Naga People's Front|NPF]]
| predecessor = Azheto Zhimomi
}}

'''Hekani Jakhalu Kense''' ({{née|'''Jakhalu'''}}; born after 1976)<ref name="TIE">{{cite news |last1=Ghose |first1=Dipankar |title=Ahead of polls, what youth in Nagaland say they really want: jobs |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/north-east-india/nagaland/ahead-of-polls-what-youth-in-nagaland-elections-say-they-really-want-jobs-5060205/ |access-date=20 November 2020 |work=The Indian Express |date=12 February 2018 |language=en |archive-date=16 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180216002209/http://indianexpress.com/article/north-east-india/nagaland/ahead-of-polls-what-youth-in-nagaland-elections-say-they-really-want-jobs-5060205/ |url-status=live }}</ref> is an Indian politician and [[Social entrepreneurship|social entrepreneur]] from [[Nagaland]]. She set up the non-governmental organization YouthNet to help the youth of Nagaland pursue business opportunities. In 2018, she was recognised with the [[Nari Shakti Puraskar]] award.

In 2023, Jakhalu and [[Salhoutuonuo Kruse]] became the first woman from Nagaland to be [[2023 Nagaland Legislative Assembly election|elected]] to the [[Nagaland Legislative Assembly]]. Jakhalu is a member of the [[Naga People's Front]](NPF).<ref>{{cite news |last=Dhar |first=Aniruddha |date=2 March 2023 |title=Nagaland scripts history in assembly election, elects 2 women candidates for first time |website=[[Hindustan Times]] |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/nagaland-scripts-history-in-assembly-poll-elects-2-women-mlas-salhoutuonuo-kruse-hekani-jakhalu-for-first-time-101677742088284.html |access-date=2 March 2023}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Hekani Jakhalu was born in [[Dimapur]], [[Nagaland]]. She was educated at [[Bishop Cotton Girls' School]] in [[Bengaluru]] and earned a [[bachelor's degree]] in [[political science]] at [[Lady Shri Ram College]] in [[Delhi]].<ref name="TBI">{{cite news |last1=Barua |first1=Ananya |title=This woman quit her dream job to help 30K youth in Nagaland get jobs |url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/175314/nagaland-jobs-training-youth-employment-lawyer-nari-shakti/ |access-date=19 November 2020 |work=The Better India |date=18 March 2019 |archive-date=22 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922120824/https://www.thebetterindia.com/175314/nagaland-jobs-training-youth-employment-lawyer-nari-shakti/ |url-status=live }}</ref> She then studied for a [[Bachelor of Laws]] at the [[University of Delhi]] and took a [[Master of Laws]] at the [[University of San Francisco]].<ref name="TBI" />

== Career ==
After working in the [[United States]], Jakhalu returned to [[Delhi]] and began a career as a [[lawyer]].{{citation needed|date= September 2022}} She was made a partner in the firm but having seen firsthand the number of young people from [[Nagaland]] migrating to Delhi, she decided in 2006 to move to [[Kohima]] (the capital of Nagaland) in order to set up a [[non-governmental organization]] (NGO) called [[YouthNet]] which aims to create more opportunities for the youth of Nagaland.<ref name="TIE" /> As of 2018, YouthNet had 30 employees and claims to have helped 23,500 people.<ref name="TIE" /> It aims to help entrepreneurs pursue their ideas and set up a "Made in Nagaland" centre in Kohima which sells their artisan goods.<ref name="ANI">{{cite news |title=Entrepreneurship conclave held in Nagaland to boost local start-ups |url=https://www.aninews.in/news/lifestyle/culture/entrepreneurship-conclave-held-in-nagaland-to-boost-local-start-ups20200213154941/ |access-date=20 November 2020 |work=ANI News |date=13 February 2020 |language=en |archive-date=15 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115195016/https://www.aninews.in/news/lifestyle/culture/entrepreneurship-conclave-held-in-nagaland-to-boost-local-start-ups20200213154941/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="ME">{{cite news |title='Made in Nagaland' Center completes 2 years, launches e-commerce site |url=https://www.morungexpress.com/made-in-nagaland-center-completes-2-years-launches-e-commerce-site |access-date=20 November 2020 |work=Morung Express |date=29 June 2020 |archive-date=6 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200906110509/https://morungexpress.com/made-in-nagaland-center-completes-2-years-launches-e-commerce-site |url-status=live }}</ref> After running for two years, the "Made in Nagaland" centre opened an [[e-commerce]] platform in 2020.<ref name="ME" />

In recognition of her work, Jakhalu received in 2018 the [[Nari Shakti Puraskar]] award, India's highest civilian award given only to women. She was the only person from the northeast of India to be honoured that year.<ref name="EM">{{cite news |title=Naga social entrepreneur Hekani Jakhalu gets Nari Shakti Puraskar |url=https://www.eastmojo.com/news/2019/03/08/naga-social-entrepreneur-hekani-jakhalu-gets-nari-shakti-puraskar |access-date=20 November 2020 |work=East Mojo |date=8 March 2019 |language=en |archive-date=20 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201120132456/https://www.eastmojo.com/news/2019/03/08/naga-social-entrepreneur-hekani-jakhalu-gets-nari-shakti-puraskar |url-status=live }}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}

{{Nari Shakti Puraskar}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jakhalu, Hekani}}
[[Category:People from Kohima]]
[[Category:People from Dimapur]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women lawyers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian lawyers]]
[[Category:Nari Shakti Puraskar 2018 winners]]
[[Category:Indian social entrepreneurs]]
[[Category:Lady Shri Ram College alumni]]
[[Category:Delhi University alumni]]
[[Category:University of San Francisco alumni]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Naga people]]
[[Category:1976 births]]
[[Category:Nagaland MLAs 2023–2028]]
[[Category:Women from Nagaland]]

Hekani Jakhalu Kense - Revision history

Aryatheautistic at 11:19, 19 April 2026