From Assam to the nation: Eri silk pioneer Dr Jogesh Deuri honoured with Padma Shri

In a moment of national recognition for Assam’s traditional knowledge systems and rural economy, the Government of India has conferred the Padma Shri Award for 2026 upon Dr Jogesh Deuri, a pioneering Eri and silk expert from Goalpara district. The honour acknowledges his decades-long contribution to strengthening India’s sericulture sector and taking Assam’s indigenous silk traditions to the global stage.

Dr Deuri, a native of Daranggiri under the Dudhnai sub-division of Goalpara, is a former Director of the Assam Sericulture Department and is widely regarded as one of the foremost authorities on Eri, Muga and Pat silk in the country. His recognition has sparked widespread pride across Assam, particularly in Goalpara, where his journey from grassroots development to national acclaim has inspired many.

Speaking to the media after the announcement, Dr Deuri reflected on his more than three decades of service in the Sericulture Department, during which he played a transformative role in modernising traditional silk practices. He retired as Director from the department in Kokrajhar on May 31, 2021, but continued to serve for an additional four-year tenure, underscoring his enduring commitment to the sector.

Under his leadership, Assam’s Eri and silk products gained global visibility, blending indigenous expertise with modern scientific approaches. His efforts focused on technological upgradation, sustainability and promoting self-reliance through sericulture, while also strengthening the livelihoods of silkworm rearers across the Northeast.

In recognition of his impact on economic development through sericulture, the Assam Government honoured Dr Deuri with the prestigious ‘Assam Gaurav’ Award in 2023. Guided by his belief that “Eri is our future and Muga is our hope,” his lifelong dedication was further acknowledged in 2025, when the Assam Government’s Tribal Welfare Department accorded him a special felicitation.

One of the most defining milestones of his career came in 2013, when, with support from the Central Silk Board and the Sericulture Department of the Bodoland Territorial Council, Dr. Deuri spearheaded the establishment of the world’s first Wild Muga Silk Sanctuary. Spread across over 300 bighas in the Koklong forest area near Rangijora, on the fringes of Manas National Park, the initiative marked a historic breakthrough in conservation-linked sericulture.

Beyond administration, Dr Deuri has made significant contributions as a researcher, speaker and writer, earning recognition both nationally and internationally. His work has consistently focused on improving the financial security, dignity and sustainability of silk farmers, while preserving Assam’s cultural heritage.