Jharkhand’s ‘Next-Gen leaders’ head to UK varsities — with govt help

Among those selected is Hassan Al Banna, a 24-year-old law graduate from the capital’s Jamia Millia Islamia University, who will pursue Law from the University of Bristol.

Banna, who had applied for the Rhodes scholarship but faced rejection, said he did not lose hope. “The application processes for scholarships are complicated. Privileged people who spend a few days in rural areas pretend to become experts and are selected under various scholarships. At the same time, it takes years for people like me to crack the code. The Jharkhand government’s programme is unique in the sense that it has given me an opportunity to do something for the people of my state,” said Banna.

“I studied in a madrasa, so I know the importance of education. Barring two of us, most of my 120 batchmates are doing daily wage labour. I believe education is the one field that will reduce social and economic inequality,” he said.

Sharwan Kumar (27), a Dalit teacher, is set to study Data Science from Anglia Ruskin University. Kumar, who comes from Chatra district, lost his father to an illness in 2006. Currently, he runs a coaching centre in Mayapur Kalan village, charging a nominal fee of Rs 100-300 from students.

“I want people of my community and the poor to grow, and that is why I teach. I started teaching when I was in class 6. After completing my graduation in mathematics in 2017, I tried for competitive exams for two years, with no luck. Then Covid devastated us and I was about to lose hope. But my elder brother told me about this scholarship scheme and I got through. I was not even aware that anything like this would be ever possible in my life,” he said.

Government officials say the aim is to equip the next generation of leaders, decision-makers and opinion-makers with the skills and knowledge to drive change and contribute to the economic and social development of the state and the country.

Lokesh Mishra, the former Tribal Welfare Commissioner, who was the nodal person in the government for the two scholarships for the 2023-24 academic year, said: “We received 1,147 applications. Out of that we interviewed 81, and 25 qualified. Compared to the previous years, we got more applications. For ST seats, more than 100 applications were received for 10 seats. The turnout of OBC and minority students was good, too, but for the Scheduled Caste seats, the participation was low and we hope it will increase next year.”

Madhumita Munda (22), who belongs to one of Jharkhand’s tribal communities, will study Data Analytics at Aston University, Birmingham. Her father Dasrath Munda used to be an auto driver before starting a grocery store in Jamshedpur. Her mother is a homemaker.

After class 12, she took a “drop year” and taught at Loyola School in Jamshedpur as a substitute teacher so she could save money for graduation. Her father also took a loan, and eventually she completed a BA in Computer Applications.

“I want to own a consultancy firm, become an entrepreneur and employ people who come from the margins. The government has helped me now, and in the future I want to take up the responsibility,” Madhumita said.

Her father recalled that when she got an offer letter from the college, she did not know what to do. “I told her that even if we sold our house, we would not be able to fund her education. I told her to look for scholarships and her efforts paid off,” he said.

Praful Kiran Kerketta, 22, completed her graduation in Zoology from Ranchi Women’s college and has now chosen to study Management at Queen’s University, Belfast. She comes from a family of farmers, and her mother is an anganwadi sevika. She said she was drawn towards studying management as it would offer her more career options. “No one in my family ever dreamt that I would be able to study abroad. It is a dream, isn’t it,” she said.

Suraj Modi, 24, who belongs to the OBC community, will pursue research in Biotechnology from Nottingham Trent University in the UK. He completed his graduation in Biotechnology from Marwari College in Ranchi, and then got a scholarship in Goa University to pursue MSc in Marine Biotechnology.

“I want to conduct my own independent research when I come back, start a company of my own like Bharat Biotech,” he said. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, I will make it count.”