St Xavier’s College Ranchi hosts SAKSHYA 2026, explores Jharkhand’s economy in AI era
LAVANYA ANAND Ranchi, September 19: St Xavier’s College, Ranchi, hosted SAKSHYA: Testimony–2026 on Saturday, bringing economists, industry experts, faculty members and students…
LAVANYA ANAND
Ranchi, September 19: St Xavier’s College, Ranchi, hosted SAKSHYA: Testimony–2026 on Saturday, bringing economists, industry experts, faculty members and students together to discuss Jharkhand’s economy, public finance, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and emerging opportunities.
Organised by the Xavier Economic Society (XES) in association with the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), the programme was held at the Fr. C. De Brouwer Auditorium on the theme “Reading Economy – From the Globe to Jharkhand.” The discussions sought to connect wider economic developments with Jharkhand’s ground realities and help students understand the changing economic landscape from both academic and practical perspectives.
The programme began with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp, followed by a welcome dance. Dr Marcus Barla, Head of the Department of Economics, welcomed the Principal, resource persons, faculty members, media representatives and students and outlined the objective of the programme.
He said the initiative was aimed at helping students understand major economic developments and their relevance to Jharkhand. He also welcomed Rev. Fr. Dr Robert Pradeep Kujur, S.J., Principal, St Xavier’s College, Ranchi, and the two resource persons—Dr Harishwar Dayal, Associate Professor, Department of Economics and member of the 5th State Finance Commission, Government of Jharkhand, and Lalit Tripathi, Chairman and Managing Director of Vedant Asset Limited, Ranchi.
The inaugural address was delivered by Rev. Fr. Dr Robert Pradeep Kujur, S.J., who highlighted the significance of the programme and the importance of academic discussions in developing a broader understanding of economic and social realities.
‘Understanding Finance’ session examines state finances
The first academic session was conducted by Dr Harishwar Dayal on “Understanding Finance.”
Dayal discussed various aspects of public finance, including the sources of state finances, federal finance and the finances of local bodies. He explained the rationale behind public spending and discussed concepts such as the marginal cost of public funds and the social cost of public spending.
The session also covered state receipts, tax and non-tax revenue and issues related to money laundering. Dayal presented a bar graph showing the changing size of the state budget over the years and discussed key findings concerning Jharkhand reported by NITI Aayog.
He also highlighted the importance of local finance in urban and rural bodies and the role of local institutions in managing resources and supporting development at the grassroots level.
A question-and-answer session followed, allowing students to interact with Dayal and seek clarification on public finance and various economic issues.
AI, entrepreneurship and rural economy discussed
The second academic session was addressed by Lalit Tripathi, who spoke about internships, artificial intelligence and business, with a focus on preparing students for changing professional and economic environments.
Discussing the growing influence of AI, Tripathi stressed that technological knowledge needs to be accompanied by an understanding of ground realities. He encouraged students to develop practical thinking, explore new ideas and identify entrepreneurial opportunities.
He also urged students to use technological developments to create meaningful opportunities and remain open to innovation. Referring to the launch of an email service in Ranchi, he highlighted the need to recognise emerging possibilities in a rapidly changing technological environment.
Tripathi also emphasised the importance of the rural economy, describing it as an important pillar of India’s GDP. He encouraged young people to use their skills and available opportunities to build purposeful careers.
A second question-and-answer session provided students an opportunity to raise questions on artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, technology, business and the changing economic environment.
Students engage with experts
The programme was conducted by Anshu Neebha Kujur and Aashish Ranjan, who coordinated the proceedings through the different sessions. Faculty members and students of the Department of Economics actively participated in the programme.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Professor Aashish Ranjan, who expressed gratitude to the Principal, resource persons, faculty members, organisers, staff and students.
The programme concluded with the National Anthem, followed by a group photograph and dispersal.
SAKSHYA 2026 provided students with a platform to examine economic developments from both theoretical and practical perspectives, linking Jharkhand’s public finance and economy with contemporary issues such as artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, technology and the rural economy.
