Parbati Baruah, often referred to as the Hasti Kanya, is recognized for her lifetime dedication to elephant conservation and human-elephant conflict mitigation. She began taming wild elephants at a young age, breaking gender barriers in a traditionally male-dominated profession. The Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian honors, was conferred upon her in 2024 to acknowledge her pioneering role and significant contributions to wildlife management in the Northeast region.