A young woman from the Chuktia Bhunjia community, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in Odisha, successfully defended her doctoral thesis in Bhubaneswar on Friday (September 19, 2025) — becoming the first girl from the tribe to achieve this milestone.
Jaiminee Jhankar, the 28-year-old girl from the Chuktia Bhunjia tribe, will be awarded a doctoral degree — the highest level of academic qualification — in a convocation ceremony shortly.
Her accomplishment is remarkable given the deep-rooted discrimination faced by women in her community. Until a few decades ago, Chuktia Bhunjia women were barred from wearing a petticoat, blouse, or coloured saree. Girls were not even permitted to wear footwear.
Hailing from a remote village inside the Sunabeda Sanctuary, she has overcome social and geographical barriers to reach this historic achievement.
Her study titled ‘Toxicity And Safety Implications of Herbal Medicines: A case Study of Nuapada District’ investigated the potential harmful effects of three commonly used traditional medicines, such as Tinospora cordifolia, Cymbopogon citratus, and Gymnema sylvestre, which are commonly found in her home district of Nuapada in Odisha.
