♦ Indian biologist and wildlife conservationist Purnima Devi Barman (45) has been named “Woman of the Year” by Time magazine.

♦ The list honours “extraordinary leaders” working toward a better, more equal world. Purnima Devi is the only Indian woman on the list.

♦ Purnima Devi, from Assam, is renowned for her unwavering efforts in protecting the endangered greater adjutant stork, locally known as Hargila.

♦ Once among the world’s rarest storks, the species faced a critical decline, with only around 450 individuals remaining in the region.

♦ This remarkable recovery led the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to reclassify the species from “endangered” to “near threatened” in 2023.