Bhubaneswar: Renowned educationist, linguist and folklorist from Odisha, Dr Mahendra Kumar Mishra, was honoured with the prestigious Padma Shri on Monday for his outstanding contribution to education, tribal languages and preservation of oral traditions.
The award was presented by President Droupadi Murmu during the first phase of the Padma Awards ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
Mishra has spent over four decades working on the preservation of endangered tribal languages and integrating indigenous knowledge systems into modern education frameworks. He is widely recognised for his efforts in documenting and revitalising tribal oral traditions and promoting multilingual education in India.
Born on April 1, 1952, in Kalahandi district, Mishra completed his higher studies at Sambalpur University and earned his PhD in 1987. He began his career in the Directorate of Elementary Education in Odisha, as Assistant Director and later served as State Coordinator for Education of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes, focusing on Tribal Multilingual Education (MLE).
A key figure in the development of MLE in India, Mishra played a leading role in introducing education in 21 tribal languages in Odisha between 1996 and 2012. He later expanded similar initiatives to states including Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and Assam through the Language and Learning Foundation, New Delhi. His teacher training programme Rupantar has been instrumental in enabling primary education in mother tongues and strengthening community-based learning systems.
His work aligns with UNESCO guidelines, NCERT frameworks, and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, particularly in improving literacy outcomes and reducing dropout rates among tribal children through culturally contextual education.
Mishra has also made significant contributions to the documentation of tribal oral literature. His major works include Oral Epics of Kalahandi (2007), Saora Tales and Songs (2005), Paharia Oral Tradition (2021), and Ramkatha in Oral Tradition of Odisha (2025). He has also translated Finland’s epic Kalevala into Odia, strengthening cross-cultural literary exchange.
His research and documentation efforts cover tribal communities such as Gond, Santali, Kondh, Paharia, Saora, and Banjara, ensuring that their oral histories, myths, and cultural narratives are preserved and integrated into academic discourse and educational curricula.
Altogether 66 personalities received Padma awards in the first phase this year, including 58 Padma Shri, six Padma Bhushan and two Padma Vibhushan honours. Other Padma Shri awardees from Odisha will receive their honours in the next phase of the ceremony.
