Dr. Danamali Das: A Torchbearer of Education and Social Transformation in Odisha’s Tribal Regions

Born in the small village of Mahulkholi in Dhenkanal, Dr. Danamali Das’s life is a testament to how determination and empathy can reshape entire communities. Growing up in poverty, studying under a thatched shed and later inside a rice mill at night, he learnt early that education is the only bridge between struggle and empowerment. Owning just two pairs of clothes, borrowing books, and enduring years of hardship, he made a silent promise to himself—no child should suffer for education the way he did. That promise grew into a lifelong mission.

Dr. Das’s journey as an educator began in the deeply marginalized tribal regions of Cuttack, inhabited by Munda, Santal and Saura communities. With no proper school system, widespread illiteracy, and heavy reliance on superstition, the region remain