Ranchi
Chief Minister Hemant Soren undertook a series of academic and commemorative engagements at the University of Oxford and in London, focusing on legacy preservation, higher education partnerships, and global scholarly collaboration rooted in India’s constitutional and intellectual traditions.
At St John’s College, University of Oxford, the Chief Minister visited the Jaipal Singh Munda archives, where the College showcased rare photographs, personal papers, debating society records, and sporting memorabilia from Jaipal Singh Munda’s years at Oxford.
The curated materials included Oxford hockey team photographs, preserved letters and notebooks, and records highlighting his role as Secretary and later President of the College Debating Society. College archives also document that he represented the College and the University in hockey, earning a Hockey Blue, before captaining India’s hockey team at the 1928 Olympics.
The delegation was received by Professor Lady Sue Black, Baroness Black of Strome, President of St John’s College, who welcomed and felicitated the delegation and hosted a high tea reception. During the interaction, the Chief Minister appreciated the College for preserving Jaipal Singh Munda’s legacy with care and dignity, noting that such stewardship sustains a living link between Jharkhand’s history and global centres of learning. He recalled Jaipal Singh Munda’s foundational role in advancing indigenous welfare within the constitutional framework and in articulating the idea of a separate Jharkhand.
The Chief Minister further observed that this vision was carried forward through decades of mass mobilisation for statehood, including under the leadership of his father, late “Dishom Guru” Shibu Soren, who co-founded the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and played a central role in the movement that culminated in the creation of Jharkhand in 2000.
Building on the visit, the Chief Minister expressed interest in a structured collaboration between the Government of Jharkhand and St John’s College covering archival exchange, digitisation, and joint preservation initiatives, along with the sharing of curated scholarly resources.
Discussions also explored the possibility of a dedicated St John’s–Jharkhand doctoral scholarship honouring the legacy of Jaipal Singh Munda and Shibu Soren. Professor Lady Sue Black welcomed the proposal and appreciated ongoing academic engagement, including the Chevening–Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda Scholarship, as a strong bridge for long-term people-to-people ties. The Chief Minister also interacted with faculty members, researchers, and Indian doctoral and postgraduate students at the College.
The delegation later visited All Souls College, University of Oxford, where the Chief Minister paid tribute to Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, former President of India and one of India’s most eminent philosophers. He recalled Dr. Radhakrishnan’s association with Oxford, noting that he served as Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics from 1936, was elected Fellow of All Souls College until 1952, and later became an Honorary Fellow from 1952 to 1975. During his Oxford years, Dr. Radhakrishnan was widely respected as a bridge between Eastern and Western traditions of thought and was knighted by King George V in 1931 for his services to education.
The Chief Minister described Dr. Radhakrishnan’s life and work as an enduring inspiration for India’s engagement with global centres of learning, underscoring how scholarship, public service, and intercultural dialogue can shape societies. The delegation was received by Professor Alpa Shah, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Oxford, who welcomed and felicitated the delegation. Discussions focused on deepening academic collaboration, including new doctoral scholarships, faculty exchanges, joint research initiatives, and policy-oriented research in areas such as climate action, sustainability, tribal welfare, and heritage studies.
Following this engagement, the delegation visited the Radcliffe Camera, the iconic circular library at the heart of Oxford’s Bodleian Library system, designed by James Gibbs and completed in the 18th century. The site was described as a global symbol of scholarship and the continuity of intellectual traditions.
As part of Republic Day engagements in London, the Chief Minister is scheduled to pay floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Parliament Square, visit Dr. B.R. Ambedkar House and Museum, and later visit the British Museum, reflecting India’s constitutional values, democratic legacy, and civilisational heritage.
The academic outreach continued at Somerville College, University of Oxford, founded in 1879 and known for pioneering women’s education. The Chief Minister was received at a high-level reception hosted by Catherine Royle, Principal of Somerville College since September 2025, a Somerville alumna and former British diplomat and senior NATO official. The reception acknowledged Jharkhand’s work in indigenous welfare, sustainability, climate action, just transition, and equitable access to higher education.
Somerville College hosts the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development, established in 2013 with support from the Government of India, and currently associated with over forty Indian scholars working on climate action, governance, public policy, and social justice. The event was attended by students, scholars, civil servants, and researchers, including Ravi Shankar Shukla, IAS, a Government of Jharkhand officer currently pursuing advanced studies at Oxford with a research focus on urban water policy and management.
The Chief Minister was also welcomed by Radhika Khosla, Research Director of the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development, Associate Professor at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, and Senior Research Fellow. Interactions highlighted opportunities for deeper engagement between Oxford’s research community and Jharkhand’s governance priorities. Students and scholars expressed interest in organising a dedicated workshop with the Chief Minister on government programmes and public policy initiatives.
The engagements collectively underscored Jharkhand’s commitment to investing in education, research, and global academic partnerships, strengthening long-term collaboration with the University of Oxford in alignment with the UK–India 2035 partnership.
