Rajshri Shyamlal Bais, 27yrs, is a talented young woman from the Mahara community from Andhra Pradesh and is based in Bastar, Chhattisgarh. She did her Masters in Anthropology from the Women’s College, Jagdalpur, Bastar University. She aspires to do a PhD on tribal life and food in the Bastar region and has been living in a village in Bastar district for several years. During this fellowship she is going to do a detailed study of forest herbs and medicinal plants in Bastar.
Sachin Ganesh Rathod, 26yrs, is a young Mahua enthusiast from the Banjara tribe of Kinwat Taluka, Nanded District, Maharashtra. He is doing a Masters in Political Science from Baliram Patil Arts Commerce and Science College in Nanded. He finished his Bachelor of Arts from the same institute. During the MAH fellowship, he is going to conduct research on the economic potential of the Mahua tree and aspires to take this as his PhD research topic after his masters.