How an IAS Officer Sparked a Ragi Revolution in Jharkhand’s Gumla, Transforming 30,000 Farmers’ Lives

19 November 2025

Jharkhand's Gumla was once marked by extreme poverty and Naxalite insurgency. Today, a ragi revolution is rewriting the district's story.

It was IAS officer Sushant Gaurav, posted as DC Gumla, who introduced some innovative interventions to help local farmers move from water-guzzling paddy to Ragi.

Women-led Self Help Groups (SHGs) were equipped with skills & financing to take up ragi processing to make laddoo, cookies, mixture, khajuria, nimki, bhujia, chips, and flour.

The local child welfare department was roped in to harness these ragi products to address severe anaemia and malnutrition in government school children.

When Sushant arrived, Gumla farmers did not grow ragi. Today, 30,000 of them grow this millet on over 30,000 acres, largely selling their harvest locally.

The district's FPO — Baghima-Palkot Farmer Producer Company — has earned over Rs 43 lakh since May 2023. Gumla even has a Millet Cafe now!

For his efforts, Sushant was awarded the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Public Administration.

Gumla's model has also become a case study for Harvard Business School. "This is possible if we work together with the necessary dedication and discipline," says IAS Sushant.