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{{Infobox person
| name = Anuradha N. Naik
| image = Anuradha N. Naik receiving the Nari Shakti Puraskar (sq cropped).jpg
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| birth_date = 20th century
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| known_for = creating the Khola Canacona Chilli Cultivators Group
| education = [[Goa University]]
| employer = [[National Institute of Oceanography, India|National Institute of Oceanography]] (NIO) & [[Indian Council of Agricultural Research]]'s Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (CCARI)
| occupation = Researcher
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'''Anuradha N. Naik''' is an Indian researcher working at the Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (CCARI) in [[Goa]]. She received the 2018 [[Nari Shakti Puraskar]] for her work supporting tribal women in cultivating [[Khola chilli]]es.

== Early life ==
Anuradha N. Naik comes from [[Goa]] and studied in the department of Botany at [[Goa University]].<ref name="Times-130319">{{cite news |title=Goan botanist helps tribals conserve, promote Khola chilli, gets nat'l award |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/68382920.cms |access-date=11 December 2020 |work=The Times of India |agency=TNN |date=13 March 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Congrats">{{cite web |title=Congratulations |url=https://www.unigoa.ac.in/uploads/confg_docs/20190311.103432~Anuradha-Naik.pdf |website=unigoa.ac.in |publisher=University of Goa |access-date=11 December 2020}}</ref>

== Career ==
Naik worked as a researcher at the [[National Institute of Oceanography, India|National Institute of Oceanography]] (NIO) and then at the [[Indian Council of Agricultural Research]]'s Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (CCARI).<ref name="Times-130319" /><ref name="Spicy">{{cite news |last1=Pawaskar |first1=Bharati |title=The spicy side of Goan heritage |url=https://www.thegoan.net//the-spicy-side-of-goan-heritage/50035.html |access-date=11 December 2020 |work=The Goan |language=en}}</ref> Whilst at CCARI, she noticed the red Khola chillies lying in the sun to dry when visiting [[Cabo de Rama]].<ref name="Spicy" /> The chillies take their name from the village of Khola and are only grown on hillsides in the [[Canacona]] region during the monsoon season.<ref name="Times-060720">{{cite news |last1=Sayed |first1=Nida |title=Agri dept to try growing Khola chillies on flat land|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/agri-dept-to-try-growing-khola-chillies-on-flat-land/articleshow/76804361.cms |access-date=11 December 2020 |work=The Times of India |agency=TNN |date=6 July 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

The tribal women cultivating the chillies were at first reluctant to discuss their growing techniques with Naik, but she persuaded them of the value of scientific research.<ref name="Spicy" /> She helped the women to form a community organisation, the Khola Canacona Chilli Cultivators Group, which packages and sells the chillies at market.<ref name="Spicy" /> The group was awarded the Plant Genome Saviour Community Award and Naik received the 2018 [[Nari Shakti Puraskar]].<ref name="Times-060720" /><ref name="Times-130319" /> The latter is India's highest civilian award only for women and Naik was the first Goan to win it.<ref name="Times-130319" />

In January 2020, the Khola chili was given [[List of geographical indications in India|geographical indication]] status and trials were announced aiming to broaden its cultivation area, although Naik expressed concerns about growing it on flatlands.<ref name="Times-060720" /> She had turned her attention to other local crops such as [[Harmal chilli]]es from [[Agaçaim]] and [[Taleigão]], and okra from St Estevav island.<ref name="Spicy" />

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Nari Shakti Puraskar}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Naik, Anuradha N.}}
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women scientists]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian scientists]]
[[Category:Women scientists from Goa]]
[[Category:Nari Shakti Puraskar 2018 winners]]
[[Category:Botanists active in India]]
[[Category:Living people]]

Anuradha N. Naik - Revision history

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