Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday said the state had for years been viewed primarily as a source of mineral wealth, with insufficient attention given to empowering its people and making them self-reliant. He made the statement while distributing appointment letters to 1,042 newly recruited teachers in Ranchi.
Addressing the gathering, Soren emphasized the importance of education in Jharkhand’s development and expressed concern about the prevailing political climate. He highlighted the crucial role teachers play in shaping society and cautioned against attempts to foster hatred and social divisions.
“Teachers have a significant responsibility in guiding society and creating a better environment for people to live in,” he said. Soren noted that many of the country’s leading states had advanced through strong education systems and said Jharkhand could have achieved similar progress.
“We too could have made greater strides in education, but unfortunately, Jharkhand has often been treated as a place for extracting mineral resources to support the national and global economy. At the same time, there has been little focus on ensuring that the people of the state become self-sufficient,” he said.
The chief minister said his government was working actively to strengthen the education sector. He pointed out that students from Jharkhand were now pursuing higher education not only in top institutions across India but also overseas. “Our goal is to build a knowledgeable society and prepare educated future generations,” he said.
Soren also stated that approximately 55,000 appointments had been made during his government’s previous term and noted that recruitment activities resumed within two months of assuming office for a second term. According to an official, appointment letters have been issued to 9,812 teachers over the last six months.
Commenting on the political atmosphere, Soren said, “A situation is being created purely for political gain, which is not healthy. Certain groups with narrow-minded intentions are trying to spread hatred and fuel tensions in society, and this could ultimately harm everyone. Hatred does not distinguish between caste or religion—it simply follows its destructive path.”
He further urged people to resist divisive thinking, saying, “We should not allow circumstances to develop where we begin to see each other through the lens of division.”
Through the teacher recruitment event, Soren underscored his government’s commitment to education while reiterating that the benefits of Jharkhand’s development should reach its people more directly and that social harmony must be preserved.
