The physical characteristics, proximate analysis, elemental analysis and chemical analysis of paddy husk, an important renewable source of energy, are reported in this paper. The kinetic parameters far the thermal degradation of paddy husk at heating rates of 10 and 100 degrees C min(-1) and under atmospheres of air and oxygen-nitrogen mixture (5:95) have been evaluated from experimentally obtained TGA data. The limitations of the existing TGA models are discussed, and a modified model has been used for correlation of the data.