The hills of Kumaon have produced many remarkable individuals who dedicated their lives to the betterment of the nation and its people. Among these illustrious figures, Soban Singh Jeena stands out as a towering personality.

Born in 1909 in the small village of Sunauli, near Almora, Soban Singh was a bright and ambitious child. He completed his early education in Basauli before excelling in his matriculation and intermediate exams at Government Intermediate College, Almora. With a scholarship in hand, he moved to Allahabad for his graduation and later pursued law.

After earning his LLB, Soban Singh returned to Almora in 1933, where he began his legal practice. His sharp legal mind, honesty, and perseverance quickly earned him a successful career, and he eventually became the President of the Almora Bar Association. He was not only a skilled lawyer but also a scholar with a deep interest in literature, Indian history, philosophy, and archaeology.

In his early years, Almora was a vast district with international borders adjoining Nepal and Tibet. This sparked Jeena’s curiosity about his land, leading him to travel extensively across Kumaon and Garhwal, gathering information and insights.

A passionate social reformer, Soban Singh Jeena dedicated a significant portion of his earnings to various social causes. During British colonial rule, he was honored with the title of Rai Bahadur, which he accepted with grace but never sought to glorify.

Jeena was a key figure in the formation of the Kumaon Rajput Parishad, an organization aimed at revitalizing the Kshatriya community of Kumaon. After India’s independence, his patriotism and deep-rooted connection to Indian traditions led him to active politics. He was one of the founding members of the Janata Sangh, which later evolved into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Jeena contested elections for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly in 1952, 1971, and 1977 from the Almora Baramandal constituency, securing a victory in 1977. He was appointed Cabinet Minister for Hill Development in the Janata Party government.

However, Soban Singh Jeena’s most enduring legacy lies in the field of education. In 1949, he, along with Amba Dutt Pant and Mohan Lal Verma, founded Almora Degree College and played a pivotal role in affiliating it with Agra University. This trio worked tirelessly to secure land and funding for the college, ensuring that students from Kumaon did not have to leave the region to pursue higher education.

In 1972, the college was taken over by the government, and in 1973, when Kumaon University was established, it became one of its constituent colleges. In recognition of Jeena’s instrumental role in its foundation, the college was later renamed Soban Singh Jeena Campus.

As demand for a university in Kumaon grew, the state government upgraded Soban Singh Jeena Campus to a full-fledged university. The Soban Singh Jeena University was established, with Government PG Colleges in Pithoragarh and Bageshwar as its affiliated institutions.

Soban Singh Jeena passed away in 1989, leaving behind an indelible mark on Kumaon’s social, political, and educational landscape. As the renowned American author Seth Godin once said,
“Leadership is the art of giving people a platform for spreading ideas that work.”
Soban Singh Jeena was a living embodiment of this very principle.