Chhavi Rajawat was the Sarpanch of her village Soda, 60 kilometers from Jaipur. Though holding an elected post, Chhavi is not affiliated with any political party. The Panchayats are officially supposed to be non-partisan and Panchayat elected representatives thereby, do not fit into the bracket of mainstream politics. She grew up in a small village, Soda, 60 kilometers from Jaipur. Her grandfather was also the sarpanch of the village, 20 years prior to her elections. She was student of Rishivalley, Bangalore, and later at the Lady Shriram College, Delhi, before completing marketing and IT from Pune.

Chhavi had worked for the MNC’s like Airtel and the Times of India; before she quit to run for elections in her village for the post of Sarpanch. After winning the elections in 2010, she became the first lady Sarpanch with an MBA degree in India. She was attacked by the anti-social elements of the society twice;  as they were angered with her decision to construct an IT Centre on the common land, using central funds of the village. On 25 March 2011, she addressed the delegates at the 11th Infopoverty World Conference; held at the United Nations. She has set up the village’s first Branch of the State Bank of India. She has worked to construct roads, provide clean water, construct toilets in every house in the village.

Chhavi also runs a hotel and a horse riding academy in Jaipur that her family owns. She is inspired by her Spiritual Guru Sadhguru, whom she considers to be her guiding force.

Chhavi Rajawat Bio