>Rlink2: /* Awards and recognition */Fixing archives for YouTube videos (WP:Link_Rot, WP:CEFC#Pre-emptive_archiving, phab:T294880)

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Awards and recognition: Fixing archives for YouTube videos (WP:Link_Rot, WP:CEFC#Pre-emptive_archiving, phab:T294880)

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{{Infobox person
| name = Chetna Gala Sinha
| image = Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World (25034574807).jpg
| image_size =
| caption = at the World Economic Forum in 2018
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 1959
| birth_place = [[Mumbai]]
| death_date =
| death_place =
| death_cause =
| residence =
| other_names =
| known_for = [[microfinance]] bank
| education = [[Mumbai University]]
| employer =
| occupation = Founder, chair manndeshi bank & foundation.
| spouse = Vijay Sinha
| partner =
| children = 3
| parents =
| relatives =
| signature =
| website = http://manndeshifoundation.org/
| footnotes =
| nationality = [[India]]
}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}

'''Chetna Gala Sinha''' is an Indian social activist working to empower women in drought-prone areas of rural [[India]] by teaching [[entrepreneurship|entrepreneurial skills]], access to land and [[means of production]].<ref>{{Cite news|url = http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-chetna-gala-sinha-innovative-activist-and-a-visionary-banker-1983628|title = Chetna Gala Sinha—innovative activist, and a visionary banker|access-date = 17 January 2015|publisher = DNA}}</ref> Chetna Sinha and six other women chaired the 48th Annual Meeting of the [[World Economic Forum]] in [[Davos-Klosters]], Switzerland in January 2018. Chetna Gala Sinha has been awarded the [[Nari Shakti Puraskar]], India's highest civilian award for women. In 1997, she set up the Mann Deshi Mahila Sahakari Bank – India's first bank for and by rural women. Mann Deshi Bank had 100,000 account holders and had loaned over $50 million to support female micro-entrepreneurs in 2018. Mann Deshi foundation runs Business Schools, a Community Radio and a Chambers of Commerce for rural women micro entrepreneurs. In 2018 it had supported nearly half a million women.<ref name="weforum.org">{{Cite web|url=https://www.weforum.org/people/chetna-sinha/|title=Chetna Sinha|website=World Economic Forum|language=en|access-date=14 April 2020}}</ref>

==Early life==
Born in [[Mumbai]], she earned her master's degree in Commerce and Economics at [[Mumbai University]] in 1982.

==Career==
Sinha grew up in Mumbai in the 1970s and 1980s in the heyday of political activism. While in college—she did her BCom and has a master's in economics from Mumbai University—she was drawn to Jayaprakash Narayan's brand of socialist politics.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.forbesindia.com/article/leadership-awards-2017/chetna-gala-sinha-the-silent-crusader/48685/1|title=Chetna Gala Sinha: The silent crusader {{!}} Forbes India|website=Forbes India|language=en-US|access-date=16 December 2017}}</ref>

She suffered her first setback when the [[Reserve Bank of India]] rejected her application, in 1996, on the grounds that some of the promoting members were non-literate. Sinha came back to the village dejected, but the other villagers pushed her to organise literacy classes.<ref name=":0" /> In five months, Sinha went back to the bank with a fresh application and the women from the village.

She is the founder and chairperson of the Mann Deshi Mahila Sahkari Bank, a [[microfinance]] bank which lends to women in rural areas. She is also the founder and president of the Mann Deshi Foundation.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Shanoor Seervai|title=Bank Built for Women Blooms in India|date=3 March 2014|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2014/03/03/bank-built-for-women-blooms-in-india/|publisher=THE WALL STREET JOURNAL|accessdate=20 December 2016|language=en}}</ref> Mann Deshi Mahila Sahkari Bank was the first bank in the country for and by rural women to get a cooperative license from Reserve Bank of India. In the two decades since the bank was set up (in 1997) with a working capital of ₹{{formatnum:708000}} raised from among its 1,335 members, it has reached over {{formatnum:310000}} women (84,000 among them borrowers), providing them with the financial backing and emotional impetus to become successful entrepreneurs.<ref name=":0" />

The drive remained relevant even after two decades, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced demonetisation last November, leaving the local vendors in the lurch: Some sold their wares for whatever they could, way below the market prices, some others gave away their ₹500 notes for a lower value. Mann Deshi officials collected coins from the State Bank of India and went from door-to-door and in the weekly markets to exchange them for old ₹500 notes.<ref name=":0" />

The Mann Deshi Foundation also runs financial literacy classes, where women are taught the ropes of savings, investing, insurances and loans through modules that comprise games like Monopoly. According to the Foundation, there has been an increase of ₹13,200 in the average annual income of rural women after they’ve taken business development classes at the school.

Chetna Sinha and six other women chaired the 48th Annual Meeting of the [[World Economic Forum]] in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, on 23–26 January 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.weforum.org/press/2017/11/world-economic-forum-announces-co-chairs-of-its-48th-annual-meeting%7D |title=world-economic-forum-announces-co-chairs-of-its-48th-annual-meeting |access-date=29 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180327085914/https://www.weforum.org/press/2017/11/world-economic-forum-announces-co-chairs-of-its-48th-annual-meeting |archive-date=27 March 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The exclusive women's team included: [[Sharan Burrow]], general-secretary, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Belgium; [[Fabiola Gianotti]], director-general, European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland; [[Isabelle Kocher]], CEO, ENGIE, France; [[Christine Lagarde]], managing director, International Monetary Fund, Washington DC; [[Ginni Rometty]], chairman, president and chief executive officer, IBM Corporation, US; and [[Erna Solberg]], Prime Minister of Norway.

Today, the Mann Deshi Bank has 100,000 account holders, has loaned over $50 million and regularly creates new financial products to support the needs of female micro-entrepreneurs. Mann Deshi runs Business Schools, a Community Radio and a Chambers of Commerce for rural women micro entrepreneurs. To date, it has supported nearly half a million women.<ref name="weforum.org"/>

She is an Ashoka fellow.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://india.ashoka.org/fellow/chetna-gala-sinha|title=Chetna Gala Sinha {{!}} Ashoka – India|website=india.ashoka.org|language=en|access-date=16 December 2017}}</ref>

==Awards and recognition==

* "Entrepreneurship Development Award" on 29 July 2010 by Entrepreneurs’ International, Pune.

Chetna Sinha received the first Godfrey Phillips Bravery Amodini Award on 11 September 2009 by Godfrey Phillips.

Chetna Sinha received "Rani Laxmiibai Puraskar" on 7 March 2009 from Cyclo Transmissions Ltd., Satara. This award is given to the women who have done outstanding work in various fields.

Jankidevi Bajaj Puraskar Award for Rural Entrepreneurship 2005.<ref>{{cite news|title=Chetna Sinha receives Jankidevi Bajaj award|url=http://news.webindia123.com/news/new/archives/ar_showdetails.asp?id=601100862&cat=India&n_date=2006|accessdate=20 December 2016}}</ref>

Shri Nanaji Deshamukh and the Rajiv Sheth Sabale Foundation Award 1999 presented by for work completed with drought-affected women. Governor of Maharashtra Shri P. C. Alexander Award 1994 for work in development.

Chetna Sinha is [[Yale World Fellows|Yale Fellow]], [[Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship|Schwab Fellow]] and [[Ashoka (non-profit organization)|Ashoka Fellow]].

She was a speaker at TEDxGateway in 2013.<ref>{{Citation|last=TEDx Talks|title=Mann Deshi Bank – the first bank & B-school for rural women: Chetna Gala Sinha at TEDxGateway 2013|date=31 December 2013|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4-MytyDkA8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/Z4-MytyDkA8 |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live|access-date=11 August 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref> She also spoke at Ted2018 in Vancouver.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ted2018.ted.com/speakers#chetna-gala-sinha|title=TED2018: The Age of Amazement {{!}} 10–14 April 2018 {{!}} Vancouver, BC, Canada|website=ted2018.ted.com|access-date=11 August 2018}}</ref> She was also ranked amongst the top 10 [https://www.indianspeakerbureau.com/blog/top-10-international-womens-day-iwd-speakers/ International Women’s Day (IWD) Speakers] in 2021 by Indian Speakers Bureau.

Forbes India Leadership Award 2017: Entrepreneur With Social Impact<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.forbesindia.com/article/leadership-awards-2017/chetna-gala-sinha-the-silent-crusader/48685/1|title=Chetna Gala Sinha: The silent crusader {{!}} Forbes India|website=Forbes India|language=en-US|access-date=11 August 2018}}</ref>

Chetna Gala Sinha has been awarded the [[Nari Shakti Puraskar]], India's highest civilian award for women who work in the area of women's empowerment<ref name="weforum.org"/>

==Personal life==
Chetna is the mother of three sons and lives in [[Mhaswad]], where Mann Deshi Mahila Bank has its headquarters.

==Mann Deshi Bank==

Mann Deshi Mahila Sahkari Bank is a [[microfinance]] bank which lends to women in rural areas. In response to the [[2016 Indian banknote demonetisation|demonetisation]] of 500 and 1000 rupee banknotes by the Indian government, Mann Deshi bank is now helping rural people by providing 500 rupees of coin in exchange for 500 rupee notes. In this crisis of demonetization of paper currency the people most affected are those in rural areas. Mann Deshi Bank has a business school on wheels through which it provides training to rural women.
<ref>{{cite web|title=This Bank Came up with an Innovative Solution to Help Daily Wage Earners Tackle Demonetisation|url=https://in.news.yahoo.com/tbi-blogs-bank-came-innovative-140741283.html|website=Yahoo News|publisher=The Better India|accessdate=20 December 2016}}{{Dead link|date=July 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

{{commons category}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

{{Nari Shakti Puraskar}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sinha, Chetna Gala}}
[[Category:Ashoka India Fellows]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Activists from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:Nari Shakti Puraskar 2018 winners]]

Chetna Sinha - Revision history

>Rlink2: /* Awards and recognition */Fixing archives for YouTube videos (WP:Link_Rot, WP:CEFC#Pre-emptive_archiving, phab:T294880)