new delhi, Aug 28
The Jharkhand Assembly on Thursday concluded its monsoon session by passing a unanimous resolution recommending the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian honour, for the late Shibu Soren. The rare show of unity across party lines came on the final day of a sitting otherwise marked by walkouts, adjournments and noisy protests.
Introducing the proposal, minister Deepak Birua recalled the former Chief Minister and JMM patriarch’s lifelong role as a builder of Jharkhand and a voice for tribals, the marginalised and the poor. The resolution was adopted with members across the political spectrum rising in agreement, making it one of the few moments of consensus in an otherwise fractious session. Beyond the tribute, the House turned its attention to unfinished legislative and constituency matters. The Jharkhand State University Bill, 2025 was passed by voice vote despite BJP’s demand to send it to a select committee, a proposal that was rejected. The legislation aims to create a framework for affiliating state universities and regulating private institutions, a move the government described as essential for raising academic standards.
Reservation once again dominated the debate. Congress legislator Pradeep Yadav moved a private member’s resolution to raise the 50 per cent ceiling, urging that quotas be fixed in proportion to population. The government, while pointing to an earlier resolution sent to the Centre through the Governor in 2022, faced fresh calls from members to act decisively. Local aspirations also found space. MLAs from across parties pressed for new degree colleges and ITIs in constituencies including Amrapara, Kasmar and Kuchai. Higher education minister Sudivya Kumar said the present framework permits new colleges only at Assembly constituency level, but promised consideration if rules change. On the governance front, the government announced plans to set up a displacement commission to address long-pending land issues under the CNT Act in Ranchi and other regions. BJP’s Raj Sinha raised the state of roads in Dhanbad, while Left legislators questioned delays in release of 15th Finance Commission funds to panchayats, to which minister Deepika Pandey Singh said allocations were held up at the Centre. The five-day session, including the special sitting convened after the death of Shibu Soren, admitted 324 questions, 70 starred queries and 34 private resolutions. But much of the proceedings were overshadowed by repeated disruptions as Treasury and Opposition benches clashed over the university bill and the demand for a CBI probe into the Surya Hansda encounter.
Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto closed the session by recalling Soren’s insistence that the Assembly must remain a people’s institution rooted in rules and accountability. Yet, he noted, members too often placed narrow political interests above public expectations.
The monsoon session ended with consensus on honouring a leader seen as the state’s founding voice, but also with the reminder that Jharkhand’s legislative forum still struggles to balance politics with governance.
