Jharkhand Minister Sudivya Kumar Dies at 56, Leaders Pay Tributes

Jharkhand Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar died of cardiac arrest early Sunday, officials said. He was 56.

Kumar was admitted to a private hospital in his hometown Giridih around 2.30 am, and doctors declared him dead around 4 am, they said.

A JMM legislator, Kumar also held the portfolios of Urban Development, Tourism, Arts and Culture, and Sports and Youth Affairs. He was first elected to the Jharkhand Assembly from Giridih in 2019.

A close aide of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Kumar played a role in managing several political crises faced by the JMM-led government. He was involved in handling the crisis following Soren’s arrest in 2024 in connection with an alleged land fraud and money laundering case.

Kumar also played a leading role during the students’ agitation in Ranchi last month. He headed a panel that held several rounds of talks with the protesters.

Soren, Assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato and Congress leader Rajesh Thakur were among those who expressed grief over Kumar’s death. Soren recalled Kumar’s association with the Jharkhand movement and his work alongside late JMM founder Shibu Soren.

The JMM described Kumar’s death as an “irreparable loss” to the party, the government and Jharkhand. Former Jharkhand Congress president Thakur said Kumar played an important role in maintaining the unity of the JMM-led coalition. BJP leader and former chief minister Champai Soren also expressed grief over his death.

Earlier this week, Kumar had returned from Karnataka, where he led a Jharkhand government delegation to explore ways to improve tourism infrastructure management. During the visit, he met Karnataka Tourism Minister K J George and discussed cooperation between the two states in tourism and forest management.

Kumar is survived by his wife Shweta Sharma, two daughters and a son. PTI NAM GRS DV SOM