Sri Shiv Balak Misra is an Indian geologist, author, and social worker from the Barabanki area of Uttar Pradesh, Shiva Balak Misra is renowned for his contributions to our understanding of the planet’s oldest life forms.
The Ediacaran fossils, which are thought to be the earliest multicellular life on Earth, were discovered by Misra in 1968. The formation’s surrounding area was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2016 and protected as the Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve in 1984. In 2007, the fossils were renamed Fractofusus misrai in honour of Misra.
After earning his master’s degree in Canada, Misra returned to India in 1969 and opened a school in the Barabanki district of the country, close to his hometown of Deora, where he teaches till date.
Misra was awarded the Laadli Media Award for writing on gender sensitivity in 2014. Misra was also recognized with the Apeejay India Volunteer Award.
His most recent book, “Gaanv Se Bees Post Card,” is a fantastic collection of tales from rural India and the experiences of its residents.