Janak McGilligan

Last edited: 11 March 2024

Dr. Janak McGilligan and her late husband Jimmy McGilligan were Baha'i pioneers who established and developed the Barli Development Institute for Rural Women. Janak served as Director since its establishment on June 1, 1985 until she retired on April 16, 2011. Jimmy served as Manager from 1988 to 2011. Janak is now the director of the Jimmy McGilligan Centre for Sustainable Development.

Most significant projects[]

Jimmy McGilligan Centre for Sustainable Development and the Barli Development Institute for Rural Women - The long lasting partnership of Janak McGilligan and Jimmy McGilligan has provided a depth of solar cooking instruction for rural residents in India, beginning their work in 2008. Since that time, the two facilities, the Jimmy McGilligan Centre for Sustainable Development and the Barli Development Institute for Rural Women, have trained over 150,000 youths in solar cooking, and over 6,000 rural and tribal women from over 1,000 villages to be community workers and trainers for solar cooking. They have shown communities that solar cookers can prepare their traditional and community foods with no problem, and have supervised the installation of many Scheffler Community Kitchens. Their projects have helped the self esteem of the local women, and created opportunities for them to use solar cooking to establish businesses that continue to provide community revenue. Jimmy passed away in 2011, but as of 2022, Janak continues to carry on their valuable work. Watch Janak McGilligan recall their work at CONSOLFOOD 2022

See other significant solar cooking projects worldwide.

March 2024: Men cooked and served a solar lunch for the women to celebrate International Women Day March 8, 2024 - Men organized and hosted a solar Lunch at Jimmy McGilligan Centre for Sustainable Development in the village Sanawadiya in India. They celebrated International Women's Day in a unique way. This year, many men specifically learned how to solar cooking, and cooked a solar lunch for the women. The event was attended by 30 participants, including Dr. Janak Palta McGilligan. Read more...

November 2023: The Solar Energy Conference 2023, organized by Germany-based International Solar Energy Society (ISES), was held in New Delhi, India. Janak McGilligan was invited as a speaker at the “Solar Thermal Cooking” session. ISES has included Janak among the 200 Renewable Energy Pioneers of India in its commemorative booklet ‘Century of Solar Stories and Renewable Energy Vision’. Read more...

October 2023: Computer science students learn sustainable living from Janak Balta McGilligan - A group of students from Soft Vision College Indore came to Sinawadiya in Madhya Pradesh, India, to conduct academic studies at the Jimmy McGilligan Centre for Sustainable Development. The students were amazed at the simplicity of using a solar cooker to harness the sun’s energy for cooking. Janak McGilligan maintains a zero-waste and zero-electricity lifestyle at her home and training center, and is an example of sustainability for us all to emulate. Read more...

January 2023: Padma Shri Recipient Runs Zero-Waste Household - Janak McGilligan was interviewed by the better india to describe her zero-waste and zero-electricity lifestyle. Read more...

January 2022: Keynote address CONSOLFOOD 2022 - Janak McGilligan presented opening remarks addressing how solar cooking and food processing are able to accomplish sustainable development goals, based on her hands-on experience in India.

October 2021: Recognizing the need for solar cooking: - Solar Cookers International was pleased to be recognized for its effort in promoting solar cooking by CNN. Approximately four million solar cookers are in use at this time worldwide, helping to save entire forests from destruction. SCI Advisor, Janak McGilligan, describes the efforts the Jimmy McGilligan Centre for Sustainable Development has contributed to many communities in India with their solar cooking introductory programs. Read the article...

June 2017: Dr. Janak McGilligan, SCI Global Advisor, was joined by chief guest Dr. Vandana Shiva, plenary speaker at the 6th SCI World Conference 2017, at the World Environment Day celebration. Five parabolic solar cookers were distributed to five landless women who have been cooking over open fires. The women contributed 10% of the purchase price for the PRINCE cookers. The remainder was subsidized by Solar Cookers International donors.

Janak Palta McGilligan is honored as a Green Hero by TERI - TERI honored Dr. Mrs. Janak Palta McGilligan as a Green Hero for her inspiring work in the field of solar cooking and sustainable lifestyles in Indore, India. TERI video on Janak's work...
May 2017: Janak Palta McGilligan receives SCI award - Recognized for her exemplary work in promoting solar thermal cooking, Janak recently received the Solar Cookers Internationals Order of Excellence. Read more...

April 2016: Dr. Mrs. Janak McGilligan has been appointed to the Solar Cookers International Advisory Council. SCI noted; "Your depth of knowledge and considerable contributions to the global understanding of solar thermal and related technologies is respected worldwide." - The Free Press Journal

January 2016: Janak McGilligan is interviewed on the Sunpod podcast
March 2015: SCInet member wins national award - Janak McGilligan won the prestigious national Padmashri award for distinguished achievement in social service on January 26, 2015. The Padma Awards is one of the highest civilian awards given in India. As former Director and Founder of the Barli Development Institute for Rural Women, she pioneered solar parabolic cooking for community use.