The grit and gumption of Jabna Chauhan, India's youngest 'sarpanch'

At 22 and a half years, she became the country's youngest sarpanch. She has since carried out campaigns to reform her village

Jabna Chauhan, India’s youngest sarpanch, intercedes seriously. “22 and a half. That’s how old I was when I was elected sarpanch, not 22,” she said, as if to explain that she was not too young to do a job few consider at her age.

Chauhan is 23 now and sarpanch of the Tharjoon panchayat in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. She is also a journalist — and the only woman of her age in her panchayat.

It wasn’t her idea to contest the panchayat polls, but her mother’s. Chauhan used to raise local issues through the TV channel, Oriental Times, where