Popatrao Baguji Pawar (b. 1960) is a farmer and social reformer from Hiware Bazar, Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, who as Sarpanch transformed his drought-prone village into a model of sustainable development. He was the only postgraduate in his village, awarded the Padma Shri in 2020 for his work in social service. Under his leadership (starting in 1989-90), Hiware Bazar banned alcohol and tobacco, implemented watershed programs (check dams, stone/earthen bunds, percolation tanks), changed cropping patterns, revived water resources, and improved sanitation and health. As a result, the village saw large reductions in poverty, significant income growth (per capita income rising from ~₹830 in the mid-1990s to ~₹30,000/month in later years), many households becoming millionaire households, and was recognized as an “ideal village” and national exemplar.