Dr. Mukesh Kumar Ravidas’s story resonates with many young students from small towns in India, a story of quiet determination, academic pursuit, and a life shaped by the values of service and self-reliance. Born and raised in Bihar Sharif, he grew up in a family where education was not just encouraged but revered as life’s greatest asset. His father, a respected school principal, and his siblings, now professors, researchers, and teachers, rooted his early years in the belief that knowledge is the true path to upliftment.
Like many students from middle-class families, he once dreamt of becoming a doctor, a dream shared by his father. But after completing school, life offered him a different opportunity. He moved to Delhi and joined Delhi University in 2004 for an English Honors program. Soon after, he cleared the highly competitive all-India entrance exam for Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), stepping into a campus that profoundly shaped his mind and future.
At JNU, he enrolled in an integrated Bachelor’s and Master’s program in Spanish, a language that opened new doors for him. He completed his Bachelor’s, Master’s, MPhil, and PhD there, making JNU not just his alma mater but the place where he found his voice as a scholar, a young leader, and a socially committed citizen.
Student life at JNU was more than lectures and exams. From winning the hostel Mess Committee election with a large margin as an ABVP candidate to celebrating festivals like Saraswati Puja and Durga Puja on campus, Dr. Ravidas experienced firsthand how student politics and cultural activities build character and public spirit. These formative years helped him develop confidence in engaging with ideas, people, and society.
Even during his student days, he briefly ventured into the corporate world but quickly realised that a desk job was not for him. The calling was clear: his life had to blend learning, serving, and exploring the world beyond textbooks.
A passionate traveller from early on, he spent weekends and breaks exploring the hills of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, often on a modest budget. This love for travel later took him far beyond India’s borders. A scholarship to present his research paper in Spain during his MPhil-PhD years was his first trip abroad in 2015, a turning point that sparked deeper international exposure.
Since then, Dr. Ravidas has visited 26 countries, including multiple stints in Europe and Latin America. His time at the renowned Caro y Cuervo Institute in Colombia, one of the world’s oldest Spanish language centres, further broadened his perspective, affirming his belief that India must engage the world with cultural pride and intellectual strength.
His journeys abroad and his connection to diverse cultures deepened his belief in the ancient Indian principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the whole world is one family. For Dr. Ravidas, this timeless idea connects his travels, academic exchanges, and his spiritual path, reminding him that borders may divide land, but learning and service unite people.
Teaching has been a constant thread throughout this journey. He began his academic career in 2013 as a guest faculty member teaching Spanish at Amity University. He then moved to Doon University in Dehradun and later Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi, where he spent five years teaching Spanish to students in travel and tourism. His interactions with students from diverse backgrounds and his training as a certified Tourist Facilitator under India’s Ministry of Tourism and Culture deepened his understanding of how languages, tourism, and cultural exchange can build bridges of trust.
Alongside academics and travel, spirituality shaped his values. During his civil services preparation days, Dr. Ravidas connected with the Art of Living Foundation in 2012. The practice of Seva (service), Sadhana (spiritual discipline), and Satsang (collective celebration) became central to his life. By 2015, he trained as an Art of Living teacher under Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji, conducting meditation and yoga sessions for university students and prison inmates, quietly spreading the message that inner calm and social responsibility go hand in hand.
In January 2020, after over a decade of teaching across institutions, he returned to where it all began, joining Jawaharlal Nehru University as a permanent faculty member. For Dr. Ravidas, this milestone brought his student journey full circle: from a young boy arriving in Delhi with dreams to a professor guiding new generations at one of India’s most prestigious campuses.
But his vision extends beyond the classroom. Inspired by his early student activism with ABVP, his cultural roots, and years of grassroots engagement, Dr. Ravidas entered active politics. In 2021, he was entrusted with the role of National Media In-Charge of the BJP SC Morcha by BJP National President Shri JP Nadda Ji, a responsibility he took on with dedication, connecting with communities across states and training the next generation of committed workers.
Today, Dr. Mukesh Kumar Ravidas stands as an example of how student life, academic rigour, global exposure, and the timeless idea of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam together prepare an individual for meaningful public service. His journey is a reminder that true learning knows no boundaries and that knowledge must always return to the society that shapes it.