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Cheruvayal Raman Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 22, 2026 • 4 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth6 June 1952

Age74 Years

BirthplaceWayanad, Kerala, India

ProfessionFarmer

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseGeetha

FamilySon(s): Ramesan, Rajesh; Daughter(s): Ramani, Rajitha

Cheruvayal Raman Biography

Cheruvayal K. Raman, a Kurichiya farmer from Wayanad, Kerala, dedicated his life to preserving indigenous rice varieties. Known locally as Nellachan or the

Early life and background

Cheruvayal K. Raman was born on 6 June 1952 in Wayanad, Kerala, into the Kurichiya tribal community. He grew up in a rural setting and left formal schooling after completing fifth grade at Kammana Navodaya L. P. School. His father died when Raman was very young, and his maternal uncle took an active role in raising him and introducing him to traditional farming practices. Those early years in the fields shaped his lifelong commitment to agriculture and seed conservation.

Career

Raman built his life around farming on land inherited by his family in the Kammana area near Mananthavady. While many farmers in Wayanad moved toward hybrid seeds and chemical inputs from the 1970s onward, he chose to continue cultivating and maintaining traditional rice varieties. Over decades he developed a living collection rather than a static seed bank: he regularly grew varieties to keep seed stocks fresh and viable instead of relying only on stored seed.

Through hands-on observation and experience, Raman became adept at identifying rice types by their physical traits — size, shape, colour and other characteristics. He used traditional storage methods such as bamboo containers and straw baskets, and he dried seeds before storage to preserve germination. He also shared seed with other farmers on the condition that they return an equal amount after harvest, a practice that helped distribute and sustain traditional varieties across the region.

Raman’s collection grew to encompass dozens of indigenous rice types, including long-standing landraces and aromatic varieties. Some of the varieties in his care were believed to be more than 150 years old. Named examples from his collection include Chennelu, Thindi, Veliyan, Kalladiyaran, Mannu Veliyan, Chembakam, Gandhakashala, Jeerakasala and Kayama. Two traditional varieties from his collection, Palthondi and Kayama, were used as gene donors in rice breeding work at Kerala Agricultural University.

Recognition and impact

Local and national institutions recognized Raman’s conservation work repeatedly. He received awards from state and national bodies over many years, reflecting his role in safeguarding plant genetic resources and farmers’ knowledge. Honors included the Green Individual Award from the Kerala State Biodiversity Board, Plant Genome Saviour recognition, acknowledgement by the Indian Institute of Rice Research, and the Genome Saviour Award from the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority. In 2023 he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in the agriculture category for his contribution to sustainable agriculture and biodiversity conservation.

Raman’s approach also drew international attention. He was invited to the Belém 30 International Conference on Nature in Brazil in 2018, and that same year he was honoured at an agricultural festival in Ajman, United Arab Emirates. His work continued to be acknowledged in state-level forums such as the Kerala State Biodiversity Congress and by agricultural universities.

Public profile

Raman came to be affectionately known in Kerala as Nellachan, which translates to a fatherly title associated with rice. That nickname reflected the public perception of him as a guardian of rare seeds and a repository of traditional farming knowledge. Despite the accolades, his priorities centered on conservation rather than commercial farming. He and his wife, Geetha, cultivated their inherited farmland while maintaining the seed collection.

Financially, Raman’s conservation work was not lucrative. By choosing to preserve and cyclically grow traditional varieties, he often forwent higher-income cropping choices. Reports indicate he experienced annual losses from these activities and that his family at times relied on government ration supplies. He continued his work nevertheless, prioritizing the long-term survival of heritage rice varieties over short-term gain.

Latest updates

In 2025 the People’s Archive of Rural India documented Raman’s efforts, recording his role in sustaining indigenous rice varieties and traditional agricultural knowledge in Wayanad.

Cheruvayal Raman passed away on 14 October 2026 while receiving treatment at Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode, Kerala. He was 74 years old at the time of his death, which was attributed to age-related illness. His funeral on 15 October 2026 was held with state honours, reflecting the recognition he had earned for his lifetime of conservation work.

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This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Cheruvayal Raman, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

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Recent Work

Conservation of indigenous rice varieties

Maintained and cultivated a living collection of traditional rice landraces at his farm in Kammana, Wayanad; shared seeds with other farmers and contributed varieties as gene donors for research.

2000s–2020s
Padma Shri in Agriculture

Received the Padma Shri award from the Government of India for contribution to sustainable agriculture and biodiversity conservation.

2023
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Career Highlights

  1. Safeguarded over 55 indigenous rice varieties
  2. Recipient of the Genome Saviour Award (2016)
  3. Awarded Padma Shri in agriculture (2023)
  4. Invited to international and regional conferences and festivals for traditional farming
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Cheruvayal Raman born?

Cheruvayal Raman was born on 6 June 1952.

What is Cheruvayal Raman known for?

Cheruvayal Raman is known for farmer.

What is Cheruvayal Raman’s marital status?

Cheruvayal Raman's marital status is listed as Married.

Who is Cheruvayal Raman married to?

Cheruvayal Raman is publicly listed as married to Geetha.