A teacher from Nungan
Charan Hembram spent decades giving institutional shape to the Santali language, the Ol Chiki script and community-rooted education. According to his official citation, he was born on 9 February 1952 in Nungan village in Mayurbhanj. He passed his matriculation in 1971 and trained as a teacher in 1977 through ASECA(O), Rairangpur.
From classroom to a network
His work went beyond one classroom to a whole community education network. He was Secretary of the Board of Santali Education, Odisha, and was involved in organising education work from 1992 to 2004. According to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, he played a role in setting up and expanding more than 1,500 “Itun Asra” centres, which are linked to learning Santali, cultural traditions and empowering tribal youth.
Why the script matters
Ol Chiki literacy is not just about learning letters. It gives a tribal community access to knowledge in its own language. His journey ties together language, curriculum, institutions and grassroots centres, and the Padma Shri in 2026 recognises that long contribution to education and culture.
Education in the mother tongue is about both dignity and access, and a language survives best when it has institutions to carry it.
Sources
- PIB / Padma Awards 2026: official citation
- Ministry of Tribal Affairs: profile video (2026)
- Wikimedia Commons: Charan Hembram (CC0)
- static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2026/jun/doc2026623901101.pdf
- youtube.com/watch?v=0RRPPF4ch4o
- commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charan_Hembram.jpg