Jharkhand State schools to teach Shibu Soren’s life from next academic year

The Jharkhand government has decided to include the biography of former Chief Minister Shibu Soren in the syllabus of State schools.

The State School Education and Literacy Department has decided to include a chapter each on the life, struggle and contribution of the veteran Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader in eight textbooks from Class 1 to 12.

According to department secretary Umashankar Singh, the draft of the chapters will be finalised by August 31, 2025, and added in new textbooks from the next academic year in 2026.

“Dishom Guru Shibu Soren ji gave new heights to the identity of Jharkhand. His struggle, his values and his commitment to the rights of the people will inspire the new generation,” Mr. Singh said.

The JMM co-founder, also known as Guruji, drew his last breath at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi on August 4.

As per the department official, in Classes 1 and 2, children will be taught about his life and struggle through comics. Similarly, his efforts towards environmental protection will be imparted through poems and stories in Class 4 books. In Class 6, his anti-drug campaign and ideas on local self-governance will be taught in Social Science classes.

Class 7 students will learn about Akeel Akhara or the Night School started by Mr. Soren, and Class 8 students, in their Hindi and Social Science books, will learn about the leader’s life and the movements he led. In Class 9, his biography will be included in Hindi, English and Urdu.

In addition, Mr. Soren’s plans for social reform and upliftment of the tribal community would be taught in the language books of Class 11. It will be taught in Hindi, English and Urdu.

Along with this, his life struggle, political journey and the work he has done for the society will be presented as chapters in Class 12.

The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) and Jharkhand Education Project Council (JEPC) have started the work on the preparation of the material.

While speaking to The Hindu, Tanuj Khatri, spokesperson and Central Committee Member of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), said, “I welcome the Jharkhand’s government decision as Dishom Guru Shibu Soren Ji, while leading the people’s movement, also took remarkable initiatives to uplift society in Tundi, Dhanbad. Among them, the Night School was most significant. His vision was clear: education must reach everyone, regardless of poverty or hardship.”

His Night School was not limited to Tundi, Dhanbad; later, it spread to many other areas, he added.

Mr. Khatri further said, “At that time, children from poor families worked in the fields during the day and had no opportunity to study. To ensure they did not remain illiterate, Guruji started schools at night, calling them Akeel Akhara. With no electricity in villages, he arranged for lanterns himself so that learning could continue after sunset.”

Mr. Khatri asserted that Guruji also introduced a unique principle: “One person educated in the Night School must educate at least five others.”

The JMM spokesperson explained that this powerful idea transformed education from being an individual asset into a community movement for which he personally taught in these schools, which further strengthened people’s respect and affection for him.

It was this dedication that earned him the monicker “Guruji.”

“He was the leader of the Jharkhand Movement. Today’s students must read and understand his struggles for Jharkhand, as they carry timeless lessons of courage, service, and determination,” Mr. Khatri said.