InternationlaConference on
Being, Becoming and
Beyond the Classroom

Towards Viksit Bharat 2047 through Equity, Ecological Responsibility and Community Empowerment

4–5 DECEMBER 2026   •   ST. XAVIER’S COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS), MAHARO, DUMKA

Day One begins at 2:00 PM   |   Abstract deadline: Thursday, 19 November 2026

Organised by St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Maharo, Dumka,
in collaboration with Xavier Institute of Social Service (XISS), Ranchi

Link to Register

Conference Rationale

Education is more than a pathway to employment. It is a means through which persons and communities safeguard memory, exercise agency, sustain their environment and participate in public life. In Santal Parganas—Dumka, Deoghar, Godda, Jamtara, Pakur and Sahibganj—questions of educational access are inseparable from language, land, livelihoods, migration, gender and cultural identity.

The aspiration of Viksit Bharat 2047 invites a difficult but necessary question: what should development mean for rural and Indigenous communities, and who has the authority to define it? The conference approaches development not merely as economic expansion, but as an ethical commitment to dignity, ecological security, social justice and meaningful participation.

Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) and Indigenous knowledge traditions provide complementary, though not interchangeable, intellectual resources. The conference encourages critical dialogue among formal research, Santali and other regional knowledge practices, oral histories, community institutions, local ecological wisdom and contemporary science. Such dialogue must respect knowledge holders, cultural autonomy and the need for evidence-based inquiry.

The discussions will connect local concerns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially quality education, gender equality, decent work, reduced inequalities, climate action, life on land and partnerships. Particular attention will be given to practical changes that educational institutions and communities can undertake together.

Conference Objectives

•  Re-examine education, equity, identity and regional development through the lens of Viksit Bharat 2047 and the SDGs.

•  Bring IKS, Indigenous knowledge and multilingual pedagogies into critical, respectful conversation with contemporary educational practice.

•  Study educational exclusion, first-generation learners, gender, livelihood pressures and digital divides.

•  Address forests, water, biodiversity, climate resilience and environmental stewardship as integral to education and local futures.

•  Build research, institutional and community partnerships leading to specific, feasible interventions.

Conference Themes and Sub-themes

Original interdisciplinary papers are invited across the following interconnected themes. Comparative contributions from other Indigenous, rural and ecologically sensitive regions are welcome.

01  Viksit Bharat 2047, Education and Inclusive Development

Development as freedom and public responsibility; tribal perspectives on national development; local aspirations and self-determination; regional disparities; ethical development; decentralised governance; NEP 2020 and educational transformation.

SDG links: 4 · 8 · 10 · 16

02  Indian Knowledge Systems and Indigenous Epistemologies

IKS in higher education; Santali and regional knowledge traditions; oral histories, Hul and Damin-i-Koh; community memory; Indigenous research methods; epistemic justice; Indigenous intellectual contributions to science, ethics and social life; ethical documentation of community knowledge.

SDG links: 4 · 10 · 11

03  Environment, Ecology and Climate Resilience

Forest and biodiversity conservation; community stewardship of land and water; Indigenous ecological knowledge; sacred landscapes; climate adaptation; sustainable agriculture and tasar; ecological restoration; environmental education; climate justice and green campuses.

SDG links: 6 · 12 · 13 · 15

04  Educational Equity, Gender and Student Success

Poverty and educational continuity; first-generation learners; access, retention and completion; scholarships and hostels; transport and safety; women’s empowerment; educational well-being; disability inclusion; student mentoring.

SDG links: 1 · 4 · 5 · 10

05  Language, Pedagogy, Technology and Curriculum

Mother-tongue and multilingual education; Santali language and literature; culturally responsive teaching; English learning; curriculum design; digital access and low-bandwidth learning; responsible AI; teacher development and educational assessment.

SDG links: 4 · 9 · 10

06  Livelihoods, Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Economies

Youth employability and enterprise; agriculture and forest-based value chains; women-led businesses; local crafts; social entrepreneurship; sustainable tourism; skill development; migration; circular economy; Indigenous livelihoods and dignity at work.

SDG links: 5 · 8 · 9 · 12

07  Institutions, Policy and Community Partnerships

Quality assurance and institutional autonomy; NEP 2020 implementation; educational governance; community-engaged research; colleges as regional resource centres; partnerships between academia, civil society and local knowledge holders; measurable SDG-oriented interventions.

SDG links: 4 · 16 · 17

SDGs as a Cross-cutting Framework

Central commitments: SDG 4 – Quality Education; SDG 5 – Gender Equality; SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth; SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities; SDG 13 – Climate Action; SDG 15 – Life on Land; and SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals. Related discussions may engage SDGs 1, 6, 9, 11, 12 and 16.

Call for Papers

The organising institutions invite original, unpublished abstracts from faculty, doctoral researchers, students, school and college educators, policymakers, development professionals, community scholars and practitioners. Empirical, conceptual, historical, philosophical, interdisciplinary, policy and practice-based contributions are welcome.

•  Abstract: 250–300 words, stating the title, research question or purpose, approach and key argument or findings.

•  Include author names, institutional affiliations, corresponding author email and four to six keywords.

•  Optional but encouraged: indicate the relevant conference theme and SDG(s).

•  Deadline for abstracts: Thursday, 19 November 2026.

•  Review criteria: relevance, originality, conceptual or methodological clarity, ethical engagement with communities and practical or scholarly contribution.

•  Accepted authors will receive presentation instructions and the final programme from the organising committee.

SUBMISSION  |  Abstracts may be submitted through the conference coordination office at St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Maharo, Dumka. The designated submission email or online link will be communicated in the conference circular.

Provisional Programme

Friday, 4 December 2026  |  Inaugural afternoon

2:00–2:30 PM

Registration and welcome

2:30–3:30 PM

Inaugural session and conference address

3:30–4:15 PM

Keynote: Education and Indigenous Futures in Viksit Bharat

4:15–4:30 PM

Tea

4:30–5:45 PM

Plenary I: IKS, Indigenous Knowledge and Identity

5:45–6:15 PM

Participant dialogue and reflections

Saturday, 5 December 2026  |  Full-day conference

9:00–9:30 AM

Opening reflections

9:30–10:45 AM

Plenary II: Educational Equity and Community Empowerment

10:45–11:00 AM

Tea

11:00 AM–12:15 PM

Plenary III: Environment, Indigenous Ecology and Climate Action

12:15–1:15 PM

Parallel thematic papers

1:15–2:00 PM

Lunch

2:00–3:00 PM

Plenary IV: Language, Technology and Institutional Change

3:00–3:45 PM

Roundtable: Livelihoods, Entrepreneurship and Viksit Bharat

3:45–4:00 PM

Tea

4:00–4:45 PM

Collaborative dialogue: Santal Parganas SDG Action Agenda

4:45–5:15 PM

Recommendations and valedictory session

 Programme timings and speakers are provisional and subject to confirmation. Four foreign speakers are confirmed.

Distinctive Features

Community and Student Voices

First-generation learners, educators, elders, community knowledge holders and local representatives will share experiences alongside academic speakers.

Knowledge Dialogues with Ethical Reciprocity

Sessions will explore how to document and share Indigenous knowledge with informed participation, attribution, respect and safeguards against extraction.

Ecology and Sustainable Futures

Focused discussions will bring together biodiversity, water, land, climate resilience and environmental education with local ecological practices.

From Research to Action

An institutional roundtable will identify realistic collaborations in multilingual academic support, ecological learning, youth livelihoods and measurable SDG progress.

Expected Outcomes

•  A Santal Parganas declaration on education, Indigenous knowledge, ecological responsibility and inclusive development.

•  A short policy and academic brief aligning priority actions with Viksit Bharat 2047 and relevant SDGs.

•  A practical agenda for institutional, community and interdisciplinary research partnerships.

•  Proposed pilot initiatives in multilingual learning, mentoring, green campuses, local biodiversity education and sustainable livelihoods.

•  A compiled record of abstracts, presentations and recommendations, subject to the organising committee’s publication arrangements.

Who May Participate?

Academics, researchers, doctoral scholars, students, teachers, educational administrators, Indigenous knowledge holders, community representatives, environmental practitioners, civil society organisations, social entrepreneurs and policymakers.

Organising Institutions

St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Maharo, Dumka, Jharkhand, in collaboration with Xavier Institute of Social Service (XISS), Ranchi, Jharkhand.

An Invitation

The conference asks what it means to educate for a developed India without losing the languages, relationships, landscapes and wisdom that make communities flourish. We welcome critical scholarship, grounded experience and proposals capable of linking knowledge with responsibility and action.

 PATRONS

Prof. Varghese Palli SJ  |  Principal, St. Xavier’s College, Dumka

Prof. Marianus Kujur SJ  |  Director, Xavier Institute of Social Sciences, Ranchi

CONFERENCE COORDINATION

Prof. Kuruvilla Pandikattu SJ  |  IQAC, St. Xavier’s College, Dumka

kuru@jdv.edu.in   |   Mobile: +91 95799 59565

Prof. Sony Pellissery  |  National Law School of India University

sony.pellissery@gmail.com    |   Mobile: + +91 96110 80278

Dr Binoy Jacob |  Rector, Loyola School of Social Work

binoysj@gmail.com    |   Mobile: +91 94974 45381

Conference venue: St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Maharo, Dumka, Jharkhand

Link to Register