Cheruvayal Raman, the Padma Shri recipient celebrated for safeguarding traditional rice varieties, has passed away in Kerala. A member of the Kurichya tribal community from Kammana village in Wayanad, he was fondly called "Nellachan" (Father of Paddy) and the "Guardian of Native Paddy". From around 2000 he gathered and preserved indigenous rice strains. He was given the Padma Shri in 2023 for his service to agriculture, and earlier earned the National Plant Genome Saviour Award for protecting traditional plant varieties. Throughout his life he championed traditional farming methods and the conservation of agricultural biodiversity.