Honoring The 7 Most Underrated Indians

Kailash Satyarthi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for his lifelong work for children’s rights. Many of us would admit that we hadn’t even heard his name before he was honored with the accolade.

This got us wondering about other Indians who have devoted their lives to the welfare of the society or achieved incredibly in their field of work but are yet hidden from the public eye. 

So, today we honor these 7 underrated Indians in our little way.

#1. Arvind Gupta

If you watched Doordarshan in the 90s, then you probably remember this man as the guy who created intriguing toys from trash. This IIT, Kanpur pass out could have easily landed a reputable job in any multinational corporation, but decided to dedicate his life for popularizing science and design teaching aids for children.

(Image Courtesy: Alchetron)

#2. Jadav Payeng

Fondly referred to as the Forest Man of India by many, Jadav Payeng, from the state of Assam is single-handedly responsible for forestation of 1360 acres of land, which is now home to dozens of species of plants and animals. Belonging to the Mishing Tribe, the naturalist has a wife and three children and makes his living from selling milk from his cattle. Jadav has been planting a few saplings every day for decades.

(Image Courtesy: Look East Spark)

#3. Amit Singhal

As a kid from Jhansi, Amit Singhal dreamed of creating super computers that he saw in Star Trek movies and went on to write the entire code for Google Search. In 2006, this laureate from IIT, Roorkee was named a Google Fellow, an honorary award given only to exceptional Google employees. Amit is among the only few Indian recipients of this honor.

(Image Courtesy: YouTube)

#4. Dr. Subhash Mukhopadhyay

Among the sharpest minds to have ever born in India, Dr. Mukhopadhyay became the first Indian and second person in the world to create a test tube baby in 1978. The ingenious physician did something incredible with simple tools at his home that even the celebrated scientists from all over the world were unable to create with the umpteen resources at their disposal. Criticized and humiliated by his peers, the doctor decided to end his life in 1981.

(Image Courtesy: GoBengal)

#5. Prakash Amte and Dr. Mandakini Amte

This husband and wife duo has dedicated their life to the welfare of the tribal people of Maharashtra. The younger son of the well-known social activist, Baba Amte graduated with an MBBS degree from Government Medical College in Nagpur but sacrificed his career just to help poor people of the region. The couple was honored with the Magsaysay Award in 2008 for their tireless work for the tribal community.

(Image Courtesy: YouTube)

#6. Amit Singhal

The Indian economy was facing bankruptcy when Narasimha Rao took charge as the Prime Minister in 1991. He initiated the process of liberalization of the economy, which kept India from suffering a major depression. People acknowledge Dr. Manmohan Singh who was the Finance Minister at that time, but neglect Narasimha Rao, who initiated the bold step.

(Image Courtesy: Telangana)

#7. Mir Sultan Khan

Mir Sultan Khan used to be a servant during the British Empire but little did his masters know that the person fetching water at their command was going to become one of the strongest chess masters of the time. In a career spanning only five years, he won British Championship three times in four attempts, before returning to his simple life.

(Image Courtesy: Ozy)

If you think we missed out a name, let us know through your comments in the section below. We also have an interesting poll for you; do not forget to cast your vote.