Jharkhand higher education minister Sudivya Kumar dies at 56

JMM senior leader and state Higher and Technical Education and Urban Development Minister Sudivya Kumar has died, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha said on Sunday. He was 56. Kumar, a legislator from Giridih, also held charge of crucial ministries like Tourism, Arts & Culture and Sports and Youth Affairs. Kumar died of cardiac arrest, a JMM leader said.

The JMM expressed shock and grief over the minister's death, describing his demise as an "irreparable loss" to the party, the government and Jharkhand. "The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha family is stunned and heart-broken by the untimely demise of Sudivya Kumar, a dedicated comrade of JMM and a Minister in Jharkhand government," the party said in a post on X. The party also conveyed condolences to Kumar's family and prayed for peace to the departed soul. Kumar was first elected to the Jharkhand Assembly from Giridih in 2019.

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He is survived by two daughters and a son. A close aide of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Kumar played a key role in managing crises within the JMM, including during Soren's arrest in 2024 in connection with an alleged land fraud and money laundering case. Kumar returned this week from Karnataka, where he led a Jharkhand government delegation to explore ways to improve tourism infrastructure management in the state. During the visit, he met Karnataka Tourism Minister K J George and discussed possibilities of cooperation between the two states in tourism and forest management.

The delegation also held detailed discussions on the possibility of associating Jungle Lodges & Resorts as a knowledge partner for better operation and management of tourism assets and resorts at major tourist destinations in Jharkhand. Kumar's sudden demise has left the JMM and the Jharkhand government mourning the loss of a senior leader and minister.