Jamshedpur, November 7: XLRI – Xavier School of Management, India’s oldest business school, celebrated its twin legacy of academic excellence and social responsibility by hosting two flagship initiatives — Reflections 2025 and Daan Utsav 2025 — that combined learning, ethics and compassion under its guiding ethos “For the Greater Common Good.”
Reflections 2025, organised by Samarthya – The Human Potential Centre of XLRI, marked its first on-campus edition this year with the theme “AI Pathshaala.” The event, held on Nov. 2, brought together more than 220 students from seven schools across Jamshedpur, encouraging discussions on artificial intelligence and ethical innovation in education.
Dr. Harshit Kumar Singh, Assistant Professor of Information Systems at XLRI, opened the conference with a session on responsible AI use in creativity and learning. The event’s highlight — an inter-school storytelling competition — saw participants integrate AI concepts into narratives built from images and words. Vidya Bharati Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Ramakrishna Mission School (Bistupur) and JUSCO Kadma School won the top three prizes respectively.
Through Reflections, Samarthya aims to build self-awareness and ethical leadership among young students by encouraging critical thinking and empathy in the digital era.
Meanwhile, Daan Utsav 2025, spearheaded by Team SIGMA-oikos, concluded on Oct. 31 after a week-long celebration of the Joy of Giving. The initiative drew strong participation from XLRI’s students, faculty and staff, raising more than ₹2.1 lakh through its Wish Tree drive — a 61% increase from the previous year.
The campaign also collected over 30,500 clothes from 14 schools and campus contributors, doubling last year’s record. Proceeds and donations will aid partner NGOs including Utthaan, People for Change and ALIG, supporting transgender empowerment, children’s training and food assistance for underprivileged families.
Other activities included menstrual awareness drives, first aid training, digital literacy workshops and volunteer visits to local elderly care homes. The Diya and Candle Stall, organised in collaboration with Udaan Foundation, raised ₹42,500 — up 52% from 2024.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Fr. Donald D’Silva, Dean (Administration & Finance), said, “We may be privileged, but true leadership lies in service. Daan Utsav reminds us that each small act of kindness creates ripples of hope in society.” Chief guest Smt. Smitha Pankaj, Regional Chief Conservator of Forests, urged students to sustain their spirit of giving and plant trees as symbols of long-term impact.
Both events underscored XLRI’s commitment to shaping leaders who blend intellect with empathy — upholding the Jesuit principle of Magis, or striving for excellence for the greater good.
