It was a momentous moment for Cheruvayal Raman, a tribal farmer dubbed India's ‘living paddy gene bank,’ when the Kerala government decided to confer upon him the coveted PK Kalan Prize for preserving indigenous customs.

Raman is quite the star among food specialists and paddy promoters worldwide, despite the fact that this is the first time he has won state recognition for his work to save indigenous rice varieties from extinction. Ever since Raman received the prestigious Genome Savior Award six years ago, he was referred to as India's sole remaining paddy gene bank by rice researchers both inside and outside the nation.

As Raman continues his work to protect 56 indigenous rice types, he has a long-held desire of having a permanent facility to save and disseminate his seeds. He has urged the government to step in and help protect the gene bank so that future generations can utilize it. 

Raman and his wife Geeta inherited 40 rice varieties from their forefathers and they safeguard them even today. He has secured the rest of the seeds from different parts of the country. Their daughters Ramani and Rajitha, sons Ramesan and Rajesh, and son-in-law Rajesh have divided their rice fields into multiple separate sections so that each conserved rice variety can be cultivated without losing its uniqueness or character.

Raman’s efforts deserve to be lauded and encouraged so that future generations too can benefit from these indigenous rice varieties which are more resistant to diseases and unfavorable climatic conditions than hybrid seeds.