Dr. Santosh Kumar Suman is an Indian politician from Bihar who leads the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), commonly known as HAM(S). He is the son of Jitan Ram Manjhi, a former Chief Minister of Bihar, and has built his own political career through positions in the Bihar Legislative Council and state government.
Known for his involvement in Bihar politics and public discussions about the welfare of disadvantaged communities, Santosh Suman has held several ministerial responsibilities. His career includes work in minor irrigation, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe welfare, information technology, disaster management, and minor water resources.
This biography explores Santosh Suman’s age, birthplace, education, family background, political career, ministerial responsibilities, and latest public activities.
Santosh Suman Biography at a Glance
| Profile | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Dr. Santosh Kumar Suman |
| Date of birth | 10 February 1975 |
| Age | 51 years as of October 2026 |
| Birthplace | Mahakar, Gaya district, Bihar, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Profession | Politician and former lecturer |
| Political party | Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) |
| Party position | National president |
| Father | Jitan Ram Manjhi |
| Mother | Shanti Devi |
| Education | Postgraduate degree and PhD |
| Legislative position | Member of the Bihar Legislative Council |
| Current ministerial portfolio | Minor water resources, Government of Bihar |
The profile details identify Santosh Suman as a Bihar politician who combines party leadership with legislative and ministerial responsibilities. His date of birth is listed as 10 February 1975, making him 51 years old in October 2026. Official party profile
How Old Is Santosh Suman?
Santosh Kumar Suman was born on 10 February 1975. He is 51 years old as of October 2026.
He was born in Mahakar, in Bihar’s Gaya district, a region closely associated with his family’s political background. His father, Jitan Ram Manjhi, became a prominent figure in Bihar politics and served as the state’s Chief Minister in 2014 and 2015.
Although Santosh Suman comes from a politically established family, his professional background also includes academic work. Before becoming widely known as a politician, he worked as a lecturer and pursued higher education.
Santosh Suman’s Early Life and Family Background
Santosh Suman was born into the family of Jitan Ram Manjhi and Shanti Devi. His father’s political journey, which included work in state government and leadership of the Hindustani Awam Morcha, became an important part of the family’s public identity.
Growing up in Bihar, Suman developed an educational and professional background before taking on major political responsibilities. His academic qualifications distinguish him from politicians whose careers began primarily through party organisation or electoral campaigning.
His family’s association with public service has remained central to his political profile. However, Santosh Suman has also assumed independent responsibilities as a party leader, legislative council member, and minister in successive Bihar governments.
Who Is Santosh Suman’s Father?
Santosh Suman’s father is Jitan Ram Manjhi, an Indian politician who served as Chief Minister of Bihar from May 2014 to February 2015. Manjhi later founded the Hindustani Awam Morcha, which became the political platform through which his son established a prominent leadership role.
Jitan Ram Manjhi has had a long career in Bihar politics and has represented the interests of disadvantaged communities in public life. His political experience helped establish HAM(S) as a recognised participant in Bihar’s electoral and coalition politics.
Santosh Suman’s rise within the party reflects both his family connection and his own involvement in government and party organisation. He became the national president of HAM(S) in April 2022.
Who Is Santosh Suman’s Mother?
Santosh Suman’s mother is Shanti Devi. She is part of the family background frequently mentioned in profiles of the politician and his father.
Compared with the public information available about Jitan Ram Manjhi’s political career, detailed information about Shanti Devi’s personal life and public activities is limited. It is therefore important to distinguish verified family details from claims that are not clearly documented.
Santosh Suman’s Education and Academic Career
Santosh Suman has a strong academic background. He completed his graduation at Delhi University in 1998 and pursued postgraduate studies at the university’s North Campus, completing his postgraduate qualification in 2001.
He also qualified the University Grants Commission’s National Eligibility Test in 2001 and earned a PhD from Magadh University in Bodh Gaya in 2003.
Before becoming a full-time political figure, Suman worked as a lecturer. His academic experience gave him a professional background outside electoral politics and public office.
His education is a notable part of his biography because it shows that his career included university studies and teaching before he became a prominent figure in Bihar’s political administration.
Santosh Suman’s Political Career
Santosh Suman’s political career developed through the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), the party founded by his father. The organisation became part of Bihar’s shifting coalition landscape and developed a role in state-level government.
Suman entered the Bihar Legislative Council in 2018. His legislative position provided a formal role in state politics and was followed by appointments to ministerial offices.
Over the years, he has been associated with departments dealing with irrigation, welfare, information technology, disaster management, and minor water resources. These responsibilities have placed him within different areas of Bihar’s state administration.
His political career has also included leadership of HAM(S), where he has participated in decisions concerning the party’s organisation, political positioning, and alliance relationships.
Santosh Suman as President of HAM(S)
Santosh Suman became national president of the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) in April 2022. The party was founded by Jitan Ram Manjhi in 2015 and has operated as a regional political organisation in Bihar.
As party president, Suman has responsibilities that include representing the organisation publicly, coordinating political activities, and helping determine its position on government policies and electoral alliances.
HAM(S) has participated in Bihar’s coalition politics, including its association with the National Democratic Alliance. The party’s position in the state depends on its legislative representation, alliance arrangements, and negotiations with other political organisations.
Suman’s leadership role has therefore extended beyond his own ministerial responsibilities to include the broader direction and public identity of the party.
Santosh Suman’s Ministerial Career
Santosh Suman has held several ministerial positions in Bihar. His responsibilities have changed as governments and departmental arrangements have changed.
Minor Irrigation and SC/ST Welfare
Suman became a minister in November 2020, when he was assigned minor irrigation and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe welfare responsibilities.
Minor irrigation concerns water infrastructure and systems used to support agricultural activity. The welfare portfolio involves government programmes and administrative matters affecting Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities.
These roles introduced him to departments dealing with both rural infrastructure and social welfare.
SC/ST Welfare Minister
In August 2022, Suman returned to a ministerial role with responsibility for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe welfare. His work in this area placed him within policy discussions about social justice, welfare delivery, and access to public programmes.
His political statements have also addressed the distribution of benefits among disadvantaged communities, including debates about reservation policies.
Information Technology and Disaster Management
During a later period in Bihar’s government, Suman held responsibilities involving information technology and disaster management, alongside minor water resources.
Information technology departments deal with the state’s digital administration and technology-related initiatives. Disaster management concerns preparedness, response, coordination, and recovery when communities are affected by emergencies.
The combination of these portfolios reflected the range of administrative responsibilities he held during that period.
Minor Water Resources Minister
As of October 2026, Santosh Suman serves as Bihar’s minister for minor water resources in the government led by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary. He took the oath of office on 7 May 2026.
The minor water resources portfolio concerns water-related infrastructure and projects that can support irrigation and rural water management. Its work is relevant to agricultural areas where access to dependable water infrastructure affects farming and local livelihoods.
The exact implementation of projects and their results should be assessed through official departmental records rather than assumed from the title of the ministerial office.
Santosh Suman and Bihar’s Reservation Debate
Reservation policy has been one of the issues addressed by Santosh Suman in his public political statements. In August 2026, he called for a review of reservation policy and expressed support for sub-categorisation within Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe reservations.
His stated argument centred on examining which communities had benefited from existing arrangements and whether groups that remained disadvantaged were receiving adequate access to those benefits.
Reservation policy is a significant and contested subject in Indian politics. Supporters of reviewing existing arrangements may focus on differences within broad social categories, while other participants in the debate raise questions about the purpose, protection, and implementation of reservation provisions.
Suman’s position should therefore be understood as part of an ongoing public policy debate rather than as a description of a policy that has automatically been adopted. His comments do not, by themselves, establish that any proposed change has become law.
Santosh Suman’s Wife and Children
Santosh Suman is married, and public election-affidavit information has included details about his spouse’s profession. However, a full, consistently verified account of his family’s private life is not widely available in reliable public profiles.
For a biography, it is important not to confuse limited public information with confirmed details. Personal claims about his wife’s name, children’s identities, or family circumstances should only be included when supported by reliable documentation.
His public profile is primarily associated with his academic background, political leadership, legislative work, and ministerial responsibilities.
What Is Santosh Suman’s Net Worth?
Santosh Suman’s personal wealth should not be stated as a single current figure without checking the relevant declaration and financial year.
Election-affidavit records provide information about assets, liabilities, income, and other financial disclosures submitted for a particular candidacy or appointment. These figures relate to the period covered by the declaration and may change over time.
A reported asset total is also not the same as annual income or net worth calculated from a complete and current balance sheet. For that reason, an accurate financial profile should identify the date of the declaration and distinguish assets from liabilities.
Without a verified, current financial statement, it would be misleading to present an unqualified net-worth estimate as an established fact.
Santosh Suman’s Latest News and Current Activities
As of October 2026, Santosh Suman’s public activities include his work as Bihar’s minor water resources minister and his leadership of the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular).
Recent political coverage has focused on his comments about reservation policy, including his call for reviewing how reservation benefits reach different communities and his support for sub-categorisation within SC/ST reservations.
His role in the state government also places him within discussions about water resources, rural infrastructure, and the administration of government programmes. The progress of specific projects should be checked against current departmental announcements and official government records.
Because political appointments and portfolios can change, readers should distinguish his confirmed position as of October 2026 from earlier ministerial roles or older reports about his career.
Frequently Asked Questions About Santosh Suman
What is Santosh Suman’s full name?
His full name is Dr. Santosh Kumar Suman.
How old is Santosh Suman?
He was born on 10 February 1975 and is 51 years old as of October 2026.
Who is Santosh Suman’s father?
His father is Jitan Ram Manjhi, the former Chief Minister of Bihar and founder of the Hindustani Awam Morcha.
Who is Santosh Suman’s mother?
His mother’s name is Shanti Devi.
Which political party does Santosh Suman belong to?
He belongs to the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), commonly abbreviated as HAM(S), and serves as its national president.
What is Santosh Suman’s educational qualification?
He completed graduation and postgraduate studies at Delhi University, qualified the UGC National Eligibility Test in 2001, and earned a PhD from Magadh University in 2003.
Is Santosh Suman a minister in Bihar?
Yes. As of October 2026, he serves as Bihar’s minor water resources minister in the government led by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary.
What is Santosh Suman known for?
He is known for leading HAM(S), serving in the Bihar Legislative Council, holding ministerial positions, and participating in public discussions about reservation policy and the welfare of disadvantaged communities.
Conclusion
Dr. Santosh Kumar Suman is a Bihar politician whose career combines academic experience, legislative responsibilities, party leadership, and ministerial service. As the son of Jitan Ram Manjhi, he belongs to a family with a substantial history in Bihar politics, but he has also developed his own public role as president of HAM(S) and a member of the state government.
His career has included responsibility for welfare, irrigation, information technology, disaster management, and minor water resources. His public comments on reservation policy have also made him part of ongoing discussions about social justice and the distribution of benefits among disadvantaged communities.
As his political career continues, his responsibilities in the Bihar government and his leadership of HAM(S) remain central to understanding his public profile.