Bihar Current affairs

NTPC’s 660 MW Super Thermal Power Project at Barh in Bihar is dedicated to the nation

• The Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy R. K. Singh dedicated to the nation a 660 MW Unit of Barh Super Thermal Power Project at Barh in Bihar on August 18, 2023.
• The 660 MW unit inaugurated on August 18, 2023, is Unit 2 of Stage 1 of the project.

Agriculture Department’s Tableau got 1st place

• On August 15, 2023, on the occasion of Independence Day, 13 tableaux were exhibited at the ceremony held at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, in which the Bihar Government Agriculture Department’s tableau got 1″ Place,

2 Rail Projects related to Bihar got approval

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi approved Seven projects of the Ministry of Railways with an estimated cost of around Rs.32,500 Crore, with 100% funding from Central Government.

Gorakhpur-Cantt-Valmiki Nagar and Son Nagar- Andal Multi tracking Project are 2 Rail projects related to Bihar got approval.

Amrit Bharat Station Scheme

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation, stone for the redevelopment of 508 railway stations across the country virtually, on August 6, 2023
• These include 49 railway stations in Bihar.

Bagmati Beach will be Developed on the Lines of Marine Drive in Patna

• According to the Water Resource Minister of Bihar Chatariya village situated on the banks of Bagmati river will be developed like the Marine Drive built on the banks of Ganga in Patna.
• A pathway like Marine Drive will be made on the banks of the Bagmati River in Chataria.

Book Written on the Life of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Inaugurated

• A new biography of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar “Nitish Kumar: Antrang Doston ki Nazar Se” will offer a glimpse of the JD(U) leader’s
  personal and political life.
• The book is written by writer Uday Kant and Published by Rajkamal Prakashan.

Approval of Bihar Biofuel Production Promotion Policy- 2023

• In July 2023 the Bihar government approved the Bihar Biofuels Production Promotion Policy, 2023, which will pave the way for the production of compressed biogas (CBG) apart from ethanol in the state.
• As per the Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) Scheme of the Centre,
  CBG has properties almost similar to CNG.
• Hence, a vehicle running on CNG can be filled with CBG without any modification.
• Under this Policy, the selected unit can get a capital subsidy of up to 15%, a maximum of up to Rs5 crore, and women from SC/ST and EBC can get up to 15.75% and a maximum of up to R$5.25 crore.
• Such benefits will be apart from the incentives given under the Bihar Industrial Investment Policy, 2016.

Duration of Organic Corridor Scheme Extended in Bihar

• Duration of Organic Corridor Scheme extended in Bihar and this scheme will run until 2025.
• Under this scheme, a complete of 20 thousand acres within the chosen 13 districts will probably be made utterly natural.
• Under this scheme, Rs 11500 per acre will probably be given as a grant to the farmers doing farming within the first 12 months.
• Earlier this scheme was until 2022-23.
• Patna, Buxar, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Samastipur, Khagaria, Begusarai, Lakhisarai, Bhagalpur, Munger, Katihar, and Nalanda have been made natural corridors situated on the banks of river Ganga.

Approval of Bihar Unregulated Deposit Scheme Banning Rules- 2023

• Under this policy, the state government has the night to investigate and take action against Chit-fund companies operating in Bihar.
• Under this policy Government of Bihar has been made the competent authority and the government will form a committee under the chairmanship of the Advocate General.

This committee will investigate, audit, and take action against companies running deposit schemes after irregularities are found.

Arwal & Sheikhpura will become Districts with 100% Digital Transactions

• Arwal and Sheikhpura are also going to be the districts with 100 percent digital transactions after Jehanabad district in Bihar.

Bihar Girl Becomes Weightlifting Referee in Commonwealth Games

• Srishti Singh, a resident of a small village in Siwan district, became a referee in the weightlifting championship in the Commonwealth Games.
• The Commonwealth Senior Men and Women, Junior Men and Women Weightlifting Championship Games held on July 11, 2023 in Greater Noida, UP

CAG Report presented in Legislature: Bihar in Top 3 in Revival of Economy

• The CAG report placed in the state assembly added that Bihar is the third among the top 10 states in reviving its economy after the Covid pandemic.
  Bihar has registered the highest gross state domestic product (GSDP) of 15.05% in 2021-22, the state finance audit report (March 2022) of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) stated.
• CAG report said the GDP of India was recorded at (-)1.36% in 2020-21, over the previous year.
• Compared to this negative trend, the growth rate of GSDP of Bihar was recorded at 0.80% in the pandemic year 2020-21.

5 Districts of Bihar got ‘Bhoomi Samman 2023’

• Bhoomi Samman was given to nine State Secretaries and 68 District Collectors along with their teams who have excelled in achieving saturation of the core components of the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme.
• Nalanda, Jehanabad, Lakhisarai, Bhojpur and Kishanganj districts of Bihar got Bhoomi Samman 2023.

Agreement between IWAI & Bihar Tourism Department for Ganga River Cruise Tourism

• Under this agreement, two vessels named Ro Pax Vessel with a capacity of 300-300 tourists will run in Patna and Bhagalpur.

The first vessel will operate between Janardan Ghat, Digha, Patna to Kangan Ghat, Patna City in Patna, and the second between Kahalgaon, Sultanganj, Bateshwar in Bhagalpur and Dolphin Sanctuary of Vikram Shila.

Bihar Government Re-Constituted Several Boards and State Commissions

• The State Women’s Commission was the first organization to be reconstituted after a gap of about three years.
• Bihar Sanskrit Shiksha Board, Madarsa Board, and the minority commission have also been constituted.
• Former MP Ashwamedh Devi has been nominated as the chairperson of the state women’s commission.
• Bhola Yadav, former MLA has been made the chairman of the Sanskrit Shiksha Board.
• Salim Parwez has been made the chairman of the Madarsa Shiksha Board.
• Riyajul Haque alias Raju has been made the chairman of the state minority commission, while Naushad Alam has been nominated as its vice-chairman. Seven other persons have been made members.

ADB & Gol sign $295 million loan agreement to upgrade State Highway in Bihar

• The Indian government and the Asian
  Development Bank (ADB) signed an agreement for a $295-million loan to upgrade around 265 km of state highways with climate and disaster-resilient design and road safety elements in Bihar.

Besides upgrading roads, the ADB project builds on earlier efforts to enhance the state road agency’s management and implementation capacity.

‘Champaran Mutton’ included in Oscar race

• The film ‘Champaran Mutton’ has reached the semi-finals of the Student Academy Awards 2023 of the Oscars
• The film ‘Champaran Mutton’, starring Falak, the girl from Muzaffarpur district of Bihar.
• The film ‘Champaran Mutton is directed by Ranjan Kumar.

Chhapra’s Mohini won the State U-11 Girls Chess Championship Title

• In May 2023 Chhapra, Saran’s resident girl Mohini won the State Under-11 Girls Chess Championship.
• The competition was organized at Little Fairy School, Siwan under the aegis of the Bihar Chess Federation..

Maithili singer Soni Chowdhary awarded by ‘Bihar Ratna Samman

• In June 2023 Soni Chaudhary from Mithila Bihar was awarded Bihar Ratna in the field of singing for her excellent singing of Maithili songs.
• This honor was awarded to him by Bihar Ratna by the president of the organization, Vishwa Mohan Chaudhary, at the felicitation ceremony organized by the National Youth Welfare Council, Patna.

The world’s tallest Shivling will be established in Virat Ramayana Temple

• The world’s largest Shivling is now being established in Virat Ramayan Temple, Kesariya, East Champaran.
• The height of this three-story temple will be 270 feet.
• The weight of the Shivalinga will be 200 tons, the height will be 33 feet and the sphere will be 33 feet.

The state’s Biggest Blood Bank will be built in Muzaffarpur

• Blood bank would be set up at Company Bagh Red Cross in Muzaffarpur district which would be the biggest blood bank in Bihar.
• A blood separation machine will also be installed here, which will solve the problem of not having blood containing red blood cells.

Two Hospitals in Bihar will become the Center of Excellence

• Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH) and Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Hospital (JLNMCH) in Bhagalpur will be made centers of excellence under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana Phase IV.
• Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) was announced in 2003 with the objectives of correcting regional imbalances in the availability of affordable/ reliable tertiary healthcare services and also to augment facilities for quality medical education in the country.

The 2000-Year-Old Kushan period Idols found in River in Lakhisarai

• In June 2023 the fragmentary ancient idol of red speckled stone found during the excavation at Rampur Balu Ghat located on the Kiul River in Lakhisarai
• It is a statue of two thousand years old Buddhist folk goddess Shalbhanjika (Sawl Bhanjika Moksha Devi)

CUSB becomes the First University in Bihar to Get an A++ Grade in NAAC

• In June 2023 the Central University of South Bihar became the first university in the state to receive an A++ grade from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).
• NAAC is an autonomous body within the University Grants Commission (UGC) that assesses and accredits higher education institutions on the basis of the standards of its curriculum, faculty, infrastructure, and research, among other parameters through a multi-tiered process.
• NAAC grades higher education institutions from highest (A++) to lowest (C) using this process.

Ravi Sinha of Bihar became the New Chief of RAW

• In June 2023 Ravi Sinha from Bhojpur in Bihar was appointed as the New Chief of India’s intelligence agency ‘RAW.
• Ravi Sinha, popularly known as ‘Operation Man’.

National Florence Nightingale Award to ANM Gayatri Kumari of Bihar

• In June 2023 President Draupadi Murmu presented the National Florence Nightingale Awards for the year 2023 to ANM Gayatri Kumari at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
• Gayatri Kumari works on the post of ANM in Sadar Hospital in Sheikhpura district of Bihar.
• Gayatri Kumari is the only woman from Bihar, who got this award.

Smita Kumari created a new World Record in Centre Split Holding (Samakonasana, Yoga)

• Yoga instructor Smita Kumari set a new Guinness World Record for holding the center split, Samakonasana, Yoga poses for a record 3 hours 10 minutes, and 12 seconds in Ahmedabad.
• Smita works as a yoga teacher with the healthcare department at Adani Group

G20 Labour 20 (L-20) Summit

• The 1-20 summit was held in Patna, Bihar from June 22 to 23, 2023.

The topic for discussion during the summit was ‘Universal Social Security’ and ‘Women and Future of Work’.

The country’s second second-largest bone Hospital is Being Built in Bihar

• Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan Super Specialty Bone Hospital, Rajvanshi Nagar, Patna will be the Country’s second-largest Bone Hospital.

Bihar ranked 3rd in ‘National Water Award 2022’

• The Award for the Best State will be conferred on Madhya Pradesh, the 2nd prize will go to Odisha while the 3rd prize will be given jointly to Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.
• The Award for the Best District will be conferred on Ganjam District, Odisha while 2nd prize will go to Namakkal District, Tamil Nadu, and 3rd prize will be given to Adilabad District, Telangana,
• The Award for the Best Village Panchayat will be conferred on Jagannadhapuram Village Panchayat, Bhadradri Kothagudem district, Telangana.
• NTPC Barauni Bags Top Prize in Best Industry Category at 4th National Water Awards,

Patna becomes the 1st municipal corporation to use CBDC

• Patna is the first municipal corporation to use Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) in the whole of India.
• Digital currency e-rupee created by the Reserve Bank of India will be used in the entire Patna Municipal Corporation area.

Sameer Pandey of Bihar became the 1st Indian to hold the post of Mayor in Australia

• The City of Parramatta Council in Sydney, New South Wales, has elected Councillor Sameer Pandey as its new Lord Mayor.
• Pandey was born in Jamshedpur, Bihar(Now Jharkhand).

Gautam Kumar selected for the 2023 Hansen Leadership Program in California

• Gautam Kumar, son of a daily wage laborer from Masodhi (Bihar), has been selected among 20 youths of the world for the 2023 Hansen Leadership Program in California, USA.

International Film Festival organized in Saran, Bihar

• International Film Festival was organized on 13th 14 May 2023 in Saran, Bihar.
• It was the Third edition of this film festival.
• Participants from 21 countries have participated in the third Saran International Film Festival.

Mission Change(Parivartan)

• Deputy CM Bihar Tejashwi Yadav has started Mission Parivartan to improve the health department.
• Under the Medical College hospitals have been given a 60-day time period to improve their quality as well as the quantum of services.
• The main objective of this mission is to make hospitals Patient-Friendly, to enforce discipline in colleges, and to arrange treatment based on manpower.

Arvind Panagariya became the Chancellor of Nalanda University

• Former vice chairman of the Niti Aayog Arvind Panagariya, a professor at Columbia and Padma Bhushan awardee, has been appointed the chancellor of Nalanda University.
• He succeeded Dr. Vijay P. Bhatkar, who was appointed NU chancellor in 2017.
• Nalanda University is located on the premises of the ancient Nalanda University located in the Nalanda district of Bihar,

Country’s Longest Extra Dose Cable Bridge Being Built in Bihar

• The total length of the Bridge is 22.76 km. In this, the length of the bridge is 9.76 km and the length of the approach road on both sides of the bridge is 13 km.
• This Kachchi Dargah-Bidupur six-lane greenfield bridge is being built on the river Ganga.

Fragrant Marcha rice of West Champaran got a GI tag

• Fragrant Marcha / Mercha paddy of Bihar’s West Champaran district has received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag
• A total of 16 products of Bihar have Gl tags.

Ethanol Plant in Muzaffarpur

• Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated Bihar’s second ethanol plant at Motipur in Muzaffarpur district.
• The plant has the capacity to produce 110 kilolitres of ethanol per day from maize.
• Nitish Kumar inaugurated India’s first ethanol plant at Purnia in May last year (2022).

Bihar’s Anjani won Gold in the Javelin Throw

• Anjani Kumari of Jamui, Bihar won the Gold Medal in the Javelin Throw event at the India Grand Prix-4, 2023 held in Bangalore.

Bihar’s 2nd AIIMS to be built in Darbhanga

• The second AIIMS in Bihar will be constructed at Shobhan in Darbhanga.
• It will have a capacity to take 2,000 OPD per day and 1,000 IPD per month.

Justice K Vinod Chandran

• Justice K Vinod Chandran was appointed as the Chief Justice of Patna High Court (March 29, 2023).
• He has taken the place of Justice Sanjay Karol

Japan will give 5509 Cr. rupees for the Patna Metro Project

• The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has signed a loan agreement with the Government of India to provide a loan of Rs 5,509 crore for phase 1 of the Patna Metro Rail project.

South Asian Women’s Film Festival held in Patna

• South Asian Women Film Festival was organized in Patna from February 2 to 9 under the joint auspices of Bihar State Film Development and Finance Corporation and South Asia Trust.
• The film festival was inaugurated by Bihar’s Art and Culture Minister Jitendra Kumar Rai.

Ganga Water Supply Scheme and Gayaji Dam got National Award

• Two projects of the Bihar government – the Ganga Water Supply Scheme and the Gayaji Dam built on the Falgu River in Gaya -were given the national-level prestigious CBIP Award 2022 at a special function held in New Delhi on Friday, March 3..
• The award was given to Bihar by the Central Board of Irrigation and Power (CBIP).
• Both schemes have been selected for the award in the ‘Best Implementation of Water Resources’ category.

Khelo India Centers will be Opened in 33 Districts of the State

• Khelo India centers will be opened in 33 districts of the state and each district has been allotted one sports activity.
• In Khelo India, centers have been set up for the training of a total of 13 sports.
• Maximum 7 centers of Kabaddi and 6 centers of athletics have been built,
• At the same time, three districts have been selected for football.

Sports Class and Training Centre

• • Wushu-Indoor Stadium, Pataliputra Complex,
    Patna
  • Athletics Saraswati Niwas, Manjhola, Muzaffarpur, New Stadium, Fazal Ganj. Sasaram Patel Field, Samastipur, Kosi High School Playground, Birpur, Supaul, Nehru Stadium, Laheriasarai, Darbhanga
  • Badminton Collectorate Campus, Araria, Saharsa
  • Kho-Kho RHMTB High School Barari, – Bhagalpur, Purani Bazar Ward-12 Surajpur,
    Lakhisarai, Indoor Stadium, Munger
  • Rugby- Kaptia, Nalanda
  • Wrestling Kuwaridi Bhor, Gopalganj, Indoor Stadium Aurangabad
  • Archery Veer Kunwar Singh Stadium, Ara, Kharari, Gaya. 00
  • Kabaddi Minta Sports Complex, Makdumpur, Sheikhpura, Ward-16 Rampur Parori, Sitamarhi, High School Aman, Parasbigha, Jehanabad, BP Mandal Indoor Stadium, Madhepura, Mahatma Gandhi High School, Bihat Begusarai, Berhampur, Buxar
  • Football Maharaja Stadium, Bettiah, Jagjivan Stadium, Bhabhua, Laxmipur, Sitopur, Siwan
  • Hockey Kosi College Khagaria, Sri Krishna- Singh Stadium, Jamui, Goraul Hockey Ground, Vaishali Weightlifting Katihar)
  • Table Tennis Watson School, Madhubani, Talwar baazi Khel Bhawan Shah Vyamshala, Motihari.

Bihar’s Second Zoo to be built in Araria

• The government has decided to develop the state’s second zoo in Raniganj block of Araria district.

Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar Became The 41st Governor Of Bihar

• On February 17, 2023, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar took oath of office as the 41st Governor of Bihar. He replaced Governor Phagu Chauhan.
• Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar was earlier the Governor of Himachal Pradesh.

Patna’s Marine Drive to be developed

• The State Government will develop the Marine Drive built on the banks of the Ganges in Patna.
• The development plan for Marine Drive can be done by the Road Construction Urban Development and Housing and Tourism Department.

Bihar’s Arwal Women’s Police Station Included in the Top Three Police Stations of the Country

• In January 2023, the Union Home Ministry chose Arwal Ladies’s Police Station among the many prime three police stations within the nation for 2022.
• The top three police stations in the country include the Aska police station in Odisha’s Ganjam district and the Banbasa police station in the Champawat district of Uttarakhand.

Jio True 5G Service Launched in Patna and Muzaffarpur

• On January 14, 2023, Reliance Jio launched its True 5G services in Bihar’s capital Patna and Muzaffarpur city:
• The urban area of Patna from Patna Sahib to Danapur and the urban area of Muzaffarpur will now get coverage of Jio True 5G.
• The company claims that by December 2023, Jio True 56 will be available in every town and every village of Bihar and Jharkhand.

The new chairman of the Central Selection Council

• On January 14, 2023, the Bihar state government appointed former DGP SK Singhal as the new chairman of the Central Selection Council.
• The extended term of the Council’s current chairman KS Dwivedi will end on January 20, 2023. After this, Singhal will take over as the new chairman.

Commonwealth Power Lifting Competition

• Bihar’s girl Kriti Raj Singh has won six gold medals in the weightlifting event of the Sub Junior Commonwealth Championship 2022
• Kriti won the Under-18 57 kg.

Textile Park in Gaya

• On December 7, 2022, Bihar’s Gaya district DM Dr. Thiyagarajan said that a textile park will be developed on the lines of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu near Shadipur Balu Ghat in Manpur in Gaya.

 The cargo terminal at Akbarnagar

• On December 7, 2022, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav informed that a cargo terminal will be built at Akbarnagar in Bhagalpur, Bihar.
• The cargo terminal will be built under the leadership of Malda Divisional Railway Manager Vikas Choubey, which is expected to be completed by the year 2024.

Bihar Municipal Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Model Bye-law, 2022

• On December 12, 2022, Bihar Municipal Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Model Bye-law, 2022 was approved in a meeting of the Bihar Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
• Under this, for the first time, the government has made a provision to impose a fine on those who use single-use polythene.

Bihar Industries Department Released the Ranking of Industrial Development for the First Time

• On December 13, 2022, Principal Secretary of Bihar Industries Department Sandeep Poundrik informed that the state industries department has released the ranking of industrial development for the first time, in which districts have been ranked on the basis of implementation of industrial schemes.
• In this ranking of industrial development in the state, Siwan (73.5 points) is in first place and Patna (68 points) is in second place.

Bihar in the Most Polluted Cities of the Country

• According to data released by the Central Pollution Control Board on December 14, 2022, five of the top five most polluted cities in the country are from Bihar. Purnea is the most polluted city across the country with an AQI of 450.
• Darbhanga is the second most polluted city in the country after Purnea with an AQI of 446.

Bihar Municipality Bill, 2022

• On December 15, 2022, the Bihar Municipality Bill, 2022 was passed in the Patna Assembly.
• The bill, tabled by Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, who also holds the Urban Development Department portfolio, was passed in the House amid uproarious scenes by Opposition members over the Saran hooch tragedy.
• According to the bill, civic officials can remove temporary encroachment 24 hours after issuing a notice and permanent encroachment only after a 15-day notice period.
• Under this, before demolishing public land, the local bodies will have to inform the encroachers first.
• Along with this, the Assembly has also passed the Bihar Technical Service Commission Bill, 2022.

13 Patna Film Festival

• 13 Patna Film Festival was celebrated in Patna from December 19 to December 21, 2022.

Bihar’s third financial year 2022-23 green budget

• On December 16, 2022, Bihar’s third financial year 2022-23 green budget was presented in the winter session.
• There has been a decrease of 3.26 percent in the green budget as compared to the previous years.
• Bihar is the first state in the country, which has been presenting a green budget.

Ram Vriksh Benipuri Memorial on the Banks of Bagmati Dam

• The Bihar government has approved the proposal to build a memorial of Ram Vriksh Benipuri on the land allotted by the Bihar government on the banks of the Bagmati dam.
• It is noteworthy that the Bagmati River originates from Nepal in the Mahabharata ranges of the Himalayas.
• This river travels about 195 kilometers in Nepal and enters the Sitamarhi district of Bihar in India.

Shalini Kumari received first prize in 3 ASEAN India Grassroots Innovation Forum

• Ms. Shalini Kumari (a resident of Patna) received first prize in the Grassroots Innovation Competition at the 3ASEAN India Grassroots Innovation forum, in December 2023, for her innovation Modified walker with adjustable legs.
• Ms. Shalini Kumari received the prize from H.E Dr. HulScingheng, Cambodia COSTI Chairman and Director General, General Department of Science, Technology & Innovation under the Ministry of Industry Science, Technology & Innovation (MISTI), Kingdom of Cambodia.
• She has won the cash prize of USD 1,500 by virtue of being the winner of the first prize.
• The 3rd ASEAN-India Grassroots Innovation Forum as well as the second Government Meeting in Cambodia was also held in which representatives from ASEAN member countries, India and ASEAN Secretariat were also held.

Kosi-Mechi Link Project

• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with the Water Resources Department and the National Water Development Agency of the Department of Water Resources under the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti to prepare the DPR of the Kosi- Mechi Link Project.
• The Patna High Court has directed the Centre and Bihar government to set up the Kosi Development Authority and interlink the Kosi and Mechi rivers to tackle annual floods often caused due to excess water discharged from Nepal.
• The project will irrigate about 69,000 hectares in the Araria district, about 69,000 hectares in the Purnea district, 39,000 hectares in the Kishanganj district, and 35,000 hectares in the Katihar district.
• The Kosi-Mechi project is designed to divert part of the Kosi River surplus water through the existing Hanuman Nagar Barrage by way of a 117 km long link canal to the Mechi River in the Mahananda Basin.

Sahitya Akademi Translation Award

• Sahitya Akademi award for translation in Hindi, Maithili, and Konkani languages of the year 2022, was announced on December 29, 2022.
• Renowned writer-translator Prof. Ratneshwar Mishra (of Bihar’s Purnia district) was awarded the Maithili language award for his Maithili translation of ChamanNahal’s English novel ‘Azadi.
• The novel Azadi in English is considered Nahal’s best novel and the author won the Sahitya Akademi Award for the novel in 1977. The novel published in 1975, tells his experiences of having lived in Sialkot

The Finance Minister of Bihar Vijay Kumar Chaudhary presented the Budget for the financial year 2023- 24 for the state on 28 February 2023.

Budget Highlights

• The Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP)- The
  The Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Bihar for 2023-24 (at current prices) is projected to be Rs 8.59 lakh crore, amounting to a growth of 8.9% over 2022-23 (Rs 7.89 lakh crore).

Budget Expenditure

• Budget expenditure of Rs. 2,61,885.40 crore has been estimated for the Year 2023-24 which is Rs. 24,194.21 crore more than Rs. 2,37,691.19 crore for the year 2022-23 budget estimate.
• The Capital and Revenue Expenditure Revenue expenditure is Rs. 2,07,848.00 crore (79.37%) and Capital expenditure is Rs. 54,037,40 crore (20.63%) for the year 2023-24 respectively
• Revenue Expenditure for the financial year 2023- 24 is estimated at Rs. 2,07,848.00 crore which is Rs 15,891.33 crore more than Rs. 1,91,956.67 crore for the year 2022-23 budget estimate.
• Capital Expenditure for the financial year 2023 24 is estimated at Rs. 54,037.40 crore which is Rs 8,302.88 crore more than Rs. 45,734.52 crore for the year 2022-23 budget estimate.
• Establishment and commitment Expenditure for the Financial Year 2023-24 is estimated at Rs 1,61,855.67 crore, which is Rs. 24,394.72 crore more than Rs. 1,37,460.94 crore for the year 2022-23 budget estimate.
• Annual Scheme Outlay for the financial year 2023- 24 is estimated at Rs. 1,00,000.00 crore, which is equal to the year 2022-23 budget estimate.
• The department-wise allocation for Annual Scheme 2023-24 has been made as follows:
• Good Governance Programme, 2020-25:- Under Seven Nischay-2 of Aatmanirbhar Bihar (2020-25) Rs. 5,000.00 crore Budget estimated in various departments for the financial year 2023-24.
  • Development and Non-Development Expenditure Development expenditure is Rs. 1,67,375.47 crore (63.91) and Non-Development expenditure Rs 94,509.93 crore(36.09) respectively.

Budget Receipt

Total Revenue Receipt has been estimated at Rs. 2,12,326.97 crore in 2023-24 which is Rs. 15,622.46 crore more than Rs 1,96,704.51 crore for the year 2022-23 budget estimate.

• The state’s Own Tax Revenue is estimated at Rs. 49,700.05 crore in 2023-24 which is Rs. 8,313.05 crore more than Rs. 41,387.00 crore for the year 2022-23 budget estimate.
• State’s Non Tax Revenue is estimated at Rs. 6,511.74 crore in 2023-24 which is Rs. 376.12 crore
  more than Rs 6,135.62 crore for the year 2022-23 budget estimate.
• The state’s Share in Central Taxes is estimated at Rs. 1,02,737.26 Crore in 2023-24 which is Rs. 11,556.66 crore more than Rs 91,180.60 crore for the year 2022-23 budget estimate.
• Grants in Aid from the Central Government to the State are estimated at Rs. 53,377.92 crore in 2023-24 which is Rs. 4,623.37 crore less than Rs. 58,001.29 crore for the year 2022-23 budget estimate.
• The State has a Revenue Surplus of Rs. 4,478.97 crores during 2023-24 which is 0.52% of GSDP.
• The Fiscal Deficit has been estimated at Rs. 25,567.84 crore which is 2.98% of GSDP estimate of Rs. 8,58,928.00 crore for the year 2023-24.
• The Outstanding Public Debt is estimated at Rs. 2,76,165.43 crore in 2023-24 which is 32.15% of GSDP of Rs. 8,58,928,00 crore.
• Total debt including liability in public account estimate is Rs.3,24,762.35 crore in 2023-24 which is 37.81% of GSDP of Rs. 8,58,928.00 crore.
• Fiscal Management: In the year 2023-24 we are again likely to generate a revenue surplus and the fiscal deficit is likely to be contained at 2.98% of State GDP that is within the FRBM limits of 3.0%

Fiscal Achievements

• The Fiscal Deficit was 3.78 percent of GSDP Rs. 6,75,448.00 crore during 2021-22 which is under tite prescribed conditional limit of 4.5 percent.
• Public Debt Liability Rs. 2,08,913.30 crore was 30.93 percent of GSDP Rs. 6,75,448.00 crore during 2021-22. By the end of 31 March 2022 public debt and other liabilities is Rs. 2,57,510.22 crore.
• The Interest Payment was 8.70 percent of Total Revenue Receipt during 2021-22.

Policy Highlights

• Agriculture: Multiple missions are proposed to be launched: (1) Bihar Millet Mission, (i) Bihar Pulses and Oilseeds Development Mission, and (ii) Crop Diversification Mission.
• The Fourth Agriculture Roadmap will be implemented with a special focus on pulses and oilseeds. The infrastructure of state agricultural market yards will be modernized.
• Groundwater conservation: A center of excellence will be established for groundwater conservation.
• Government recruitment: Requisition has been given for filling a total of 63,900 posts by the Bihar Public Service Commission, Staff Selection Commission, and Technical Service Commission. Approval has been given for the creation of 75,543 posts in the police.

Sector-wise expenditure under Bihar budget 2023-24 (in Rs. crore)

• Education, Sports, Arts, and Culture
  • Rs 17,789 crore has been allocated as grants towards assistance to schools for salaries. Rs 6,397 crore has been allocated towards salaries and allowances for the Education Department.
• Rural Development
  • Rs 3,852 crore has been allocated towards MGNREGS Rs 3,610 crore has been allocated towards PMGSY.
• Health and Family Welfare
  • Rs 3,691 crore has been allocated towards the provision of health services in urban areas. Rs 1,830 crore has been allocated towards capital outlay on health services
• Social Welfare and Nutrition
  • Rs 1,029 crore has been allocated towards Mukhyamantri Vriddhhajan Pension Yojana.
• Police
  • Rs 6,345 crore has been allocated to the district police.
• Energy
  • Rs 9,103 crore has been allocated towards subsidies for affordable power.
• Transport
  • Rs 3,986 crore has been allocated towards capital outlay on roads and bridges.
• Urban Development
  • Rs 940 crore has been allocated towards the Smart City Mission.
• Agriculture and Allied Activities
  • Rs 415 crore has been allocated towards subsidies under various schemes administered by the Agriculture Department. This includes a subsidy of Rs 100 crore for agricultural mechanization.
• Housing
  • Rs 6,789 crore has been allocated towards the Indira Awas/Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

“Saat Nishayy 2.0” for Aatmnirbhar Bihar (Financial year 2023-24)

1.Yuva Shakti-Bihar Ki Pragati
2. Sashakt mahila- Saksham Mahila
3. Har Khet Ko Pani
4. Swachha Goan-Samridh Goan
5. Swachha Shahar Viksit Shahar
6. Sulabh Samparkata

7. Sabke liye Atirikt Swasthya Suvidha

Bihar Economy: An Overview

• The Bihar economy posted a strong recovery in 2021-22. According to quick estimates, Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) at constant prices recorded a robust growth of 10.98 percent, compared to (-)3.2 percent in 2020-21. The national growth rate was 8.68 percent in 2021-22.
• Bihar is a relatively low-income Indian State. According to quick estimates, the GSDP of Bihar at current prices was Rs 675448 crore and Rs 428065 crore at constant (2011-12) prices in 2021-22.
• The Per Capita GSDP of Bihar in 2021-22 was Rs 54,383 at current prices and Rs. 34,465 at constant (2011-12) prices.
• In terms of the share of major sectors of GSDP. the primary sector experienced a slight decline from 21.4 percent in 2020-21 to 21.2 percent in 2021-22
• The secondary sector also recorded a small decline from 19.3 percent in 2020-21 to 18.1 percent in 2021- 22.
• Interestingly, between 2020-21 and 2021-22, the tertiary sector registered an increase in its share from 59.3 percent to 60.7 percent.
• With regard to the ranking of the 38 districts for Per Capita GSDP in 2020-21, the three most prosperous districts are Patna (Rs. 1,15,239), Begusarai (Rs. 45,497), and Munger (Rs. 42,793).
• On the other end, the three less developed districts are – Sheohar (Rs. 18,692), Araria (Rs. 19,527) and Sitamarhi (Rs. 20,631).

State Finances

• The total expenditure by the State government was Rs. 1.93 lakh crore in 2021-22. Out of this, Rs. 1.59 lakh crore (82.4 percent) was the revenue expenditure, and Rs. 0.34 lakh crore (17.6 percent) was the capital expenditure.
• The expenditure by the State government on General Services was Rs. 48,939 crore in 2021-22. Out of this, Rs. 13,822 crore (28.2 percent) was the interest payment.
• The Social Services and Economic Services expenditure was Rs. 76,115 crore and Rs. 34,166 crore, respectively.
• The State government continued to focus on increased capital expenditure, which increased by 29.4 percent over the previous year to Rs. 33,903 crore in 2021-22
• The receipt in the revenue account increased by 23.9 percent to reach Rs. 1,58,797 crore, whereas the expenditure in this account increased by 14.1 percent to reach Rs. 1,59,220 crore in 2021-22 over the previous year.
• As a result of this, the State government could bring down its revenue deficit by 96.3 percent, from Rs 11,325 crore in 2020-21 to just Rs. 422 crore.
• The State government collected Rs. 38,839 crore in revenue from its own sources in 2021-22 Out of which, the revenue collected from taxes was Rs 34,855 crore (89.7 percent), and the non-tax revenue was Rs. 3984 crore (10.3 percent).
• The gross transfer of financial resources from the Central government to the State government was Rs. 1,29,486 crore in 2021-22. Out of this, the amount received as the state’s share in the Central taxes was Rs. 91,353 crore. The Grants-in-Aid from the Centre to the State government and the Central government’s loan to the State government were Rs. 28,606 crore and Rs 9527 crore, respectively, in 2021-22.
• The Primary deficit of the State government declined from Rs. 17,344 crore in 2020-21 to Rs. 11,729 crore in 2021-22.
• Similarly, the Fiscal deficit of the State government also declined from Rs. 29,828 crore in 2020-21 to Rs. 25,551 crore in 2021-22.
• The total borrowing of the State government was Rs 40,445 crore in 2021-22. The outstanding debt of the State government at the end of 2021-22 was Rs. 2,57,510 crore.
• The interest payment and the capital repayment by the State government during the year were Rs. 13,822 crore and Rs. 8746 crore, respectively.

Agriculture and Allied Sectors

• The agriculture and allied sectors grew at a rate of about 5 percent during the last five years (2017-18 to 2021-22).
• Overall, the sector accounted for a share of 20 percent in Gross State Value Added (GSVA) during the same period.
• The contribution of sub-sectors to GSVA were-crop sector (11.1 percent), livestock (6.6 percent), and
  fisheries and aquaculture (1.8 percent) in 2021-22
• In 2020-21, the Net Sown Area in Bihar was 50.5 lakh hectares, while the cropping intensity was 1.44. As of 2021-22, the total cereal production stood at 181.0 lakh tonnes.
• The State Government is implementing the Bihar Agri-Investment Promotion Policy wherein a capital subsidy of 15 percent is being provided to individual investors and 25 percent to Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) for establishing new agro-based industries or for the expansion, modernization, and diversification of existing units.
• The identified seven focus products of this initiative are mahana, fruits and vegetables, maize, medicinal plants, aromatic plants, honey, and tea.
• A new scheme under the state plan has been launched by the Department of Agriculture for genetic identification of hybrid seeds of maize and paddy through DNA fingerprinting with a total cost of Rs. 142.27 lakh.
• Organic and sustainable agriculture is a priority for the State Government. Therefore, under the Jaivik Condor Scheme (2022-25), another 20,000 acres have been taken for organic farming
• In 2021-22, the total expenditure for irrigation development was Rs 2670.49 crore. As of March 2022, about 37.22 lakh hectares of irrigation potential have been created.

Enterprises Sector

• Between 2018-19 and 2019-20, the number of factories in Bihar has increased by only 0.3 percent, but the working capital has increased by 51 percent. Moreover, in Bihar, the net value added has registered an increase of 1.2 percent in 2019-20 over the 2018- 19 level, while the same at the all-India level has declined by 4.8 percent,
• In Bihar, the total sugar production was 45.6 lakh quintals, with a recovery rate of 9.6 percent. In the case of electricity generation, eight sugar mills together produced 88.5 MW of electricity in 2021-22.
• To encourage the establishment of production units, the State government has released a sum of Rs 532.46 crore as grants under the Bihar Industrial Investment Promotion Policy 2016 during the last six years.
• The highest amount of investment has taken place in food processing (Rs 1395.65 crore), which accounted for 41 percent of the total investment in the state.
• In 2021-22, 45 micro-enterprises were established, which was more than double the number of micro-enterprises set up in 2020-21.
• The number of large enterprises also increased from 3 in 2020-21 to 11 in 2021-22. The amount of investment in those enterprises has increased by 131 percent.
• Bihar has the potential to develop religious, heritage, health, entertainment, waterfront, and cultural tourism. On tourism, the expenditure has increased to Rs 146.90 crore in 2021-22, compared to Rs 70.20 crore in 2020-21.

Labor, Employment, and Skill

• The male Work Population Ratio (WPR) in rural Bihar was 68.8 percent, compared to 77.9 percent at the all-India level. In the case of urban Bihar, the male WPR was 64.6 percent vis-à-vis 75.7 percent at the all-India level. The gap between Bihar and India with respect to male WPR is lower, as compared to female WPR.
• In Bihar, a male and female worker, on average, carns Rs 338 and Rs 244 per day respectively, translating to a gender wage gap of 28 percent. At the all-India level, the wage gap was even wider, at 36 percent.
• To increase the representation of women, the State government has provided a horizontal reservation of 35 percent.
• The JEEVIKA is the nodal agency for providing support to RSETIS, which imparts self-employment training to the rural youth in 61 approved trades. After the completion of training, the rural youth. are also provided with credit support from banks to start their own enterprises.
• Under the DDU-GKY program, 77 training centers of 68 PIAs have provided skill training and placement facilities to rural youth.

Physical Infrastructure

• Bihar registered the highest growth of 20.4 percent in the country for Transport and Communication sectors during 2021-22.
• The Gross State Value Added (GVA) of airways (54.4 percent), services incidental to transport (33.5 percent), and roadways (31.8 percent) recorded an all-time high growth during 2021-22.
• Bihar had a total road density of 3166.9 kms, per 1000 sq. kms, of geographical area and ranked third in India, after Kerala and West Bengal in 2019,
• The State government has invested Rs. 76,483 crore during 2015-22 for building and maintenance of the all-weather roads and bridges. For 2022-23, a sum of R 16,530 crore has been budgeted for this sector.
• Bihar has recorded the third highest number of vehicle registrations among Indian states, after Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra during 2020-21.

E-Governance

• For promoting e-governance, Bihar has received many awards including the CSI Nihilent Award, CSI SIG e-Governance awards, Digital India Award, the National Award for the highest DBT transaction, National e-governance Awards, and many others.
• In Bihar, on average, each household is enabled with 2 or more mobile connections and almost every household has access to the internet, and 98.7 percent of the Gram Panchayats are covered under Bharat Net.
• Common Social Registry Portal (CSRP) is a digital platform where different members of a family can get registered under any of the State government schemes
• Mukhyamantri Digital Health Yojana has been implemented as a Pilot Project in Muzaffarpur and, after successful execution, it will be rolled out in the remaining 37 districts.
• With citizens at the core, this project aims to integrate around 13,000 public health facilities, ranging from the district level to lower-level health centers.
• Aadhaar-enabled PDS has been implemented in all 50,854 PDS shops across the state. Around 1.8 crore (92 percent) transactions are done every month through POS devices using ration card data.
• At every police station in Bihar, the Bhu-Samadhaan app is used to keep track of cases that involve land disputes.

Energy Sector

• There was a significant improvement in the projected peak demand for power from 4965 MW in 2017-18 to 6475 MW in 2021-22, implying a growth of more than 30.4 percent in four years.
• The Per Capita Consumption of energy in the state has risen from 280 kWh in 2017-18 to 329 kWh in 2021-22, implying a growth of 17.5 percent in four years. The peak demand met again had a growth of around 46.1 percent to reach 6627 MW during 2021- 22 from 4535 MW in 2017-18
• The available power capacity in the state was 6422 MW in 2020-21, which increased to 7785 MW in 2021-22, implying a growth of 21.2 percent.
• Power demand in the state was 6576 MW in 2021-22, which increased to 7054 MW in 2022-23, implying a growth of 7.3 percent.
• The DISCOMS made all-out efforts to improve their financial status reduction of Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) loss from 43.5 percent (2015-16) to 29.4 percent in 2021-22.
• The total generation capacity of power, as on March 2021, was 6422 MW. Increasing by 21 percent, it has reached 7785 MW in March 2022.
• Between March 2021 and March 2022, the growth rate in coal-based thermal power is 9.1 percent, and 130.6 percent in renewable energy sources.

Rural Development

• By September 2022, 10.35 lakh SHGs have been formed under JEEVIKA, of which 2.45 lakh SHGs are linked with banks for credit. At present, the outstanding credit is Rs. 5574 crore.
• Under MGNREGS, the number of households provided with employment has doubled from 22.5 lakh in 2017-18 to 48.0 lakh in 2021-22, Employment generated has also substantially increased from 817.2 lakh persondays to 1811.8 lakh persondays in 2021- 22.
• Fund utilization under the scheme has also improved over the years it was 91.2 percent in 2017-18 which increased to 98.1 percent in 2021-22.
• Under the Public Distribution System (PDS), a total of 5474.9 thousand tonnes of foodgrains consisting of 2208.2 thousand tonnes of wheat and 3266.7 thousand tonnes of rice, was allotted in 2021-22.
• Between 2017-18 and 2021-22, the average lifting of food grain was 97.9 percent. The data shows that the lifting of wheat and rice is almost 100 percent in nearly all the districts.
• A total of 4290 Panchayats have been selected for the implementation of the Mukhyamantri Gramin Peyjal Yojana. Similarly, for the Mukhyamantri Gramin Gali-Nali Pakkiran Yojana, a total of 8386 Panchayats were selected.
• Under Saat Nishchay 2, Mukhya Mantri Gramin Solar Street Light Yojana has been launched for every Panchayat of the state from 2022-23, Under the scheme, every ward is to get 10 solar street lights installed. Also, every Panchayat has been given 10 additional solar street lights for community institutions, like schools, libraries, etc.

Urban Development

• The total urban population in Bihar is 11.8 million, according to the Census 2011.
• 111 new Nagar Panchayats have been set up, along with 9 new Nagar Parishads. Because of the above decision and the natural growth of the population in urban areas, the projected urban population of Bihar in 2022 is 20.2 million.
• This will raise the urbanization rate in Bihar from 11.3 to 16.2 percent.
• The expenditure of the Department for Urban Development and Housing was Rs. 8423.8 crore in 2019-20, which increased to Rs. 9942.2 crore in 2020-21, registering a growth of 18.0 percent.
• A unique scheme called the ‘Bihar Ganga Water Supply Scheme” was recently launched, through t which 1.12 lakh population of Rajgir city, about 1.21 lakh population of Nawada city, and about 6.32 lakh population in Gaya and Bodh Gaya cities will benefit.
• Under this scheme, the excess water of the river Ganga will be supplied through the pipe by constructing an intake well-cum-pump house at Hathidah (Mokama).
• The stated goals of ‘Ghar Tak Pakki Gali-Naaliyaan’ are being achieved gradually. In 2021-22, 8.26 lakh households were benefitted.
• The number of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) formed under the National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) in Bihar has increased from 2876 in 2020-21 to 4826 in 2021-22.
• The number of credit-linked SHGS has increased from only 208 in 2018-19 to 4176 in 2021-22.
• Under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), the construction of toilets up to 2020-21 was 4.01 lakh and there were 0.10 lakh toilets under construction. Till 2021-22, the total number of toilets constructed increased to 4.12 lakh, which further increased to 4.14 lakh up to September 2022.
• For Individual toilets, the State government provides a subsidy of Rs. 8000 to each family, in addition to the Central assistance of Rs. 4000.

Human Development

• During the last 16 years (2005-06 and 2021-22), the expenditure on social services has increased more than 11.0 times in Bihar.
• The expenditure on health increased by about 11 times and that on education by eight times.
• During this period, the share of social services expenditure in total expenditure of the State government increased from 31.9 percent in 2005-06 to 42.4 percent in 2021-22
• Similarly, the Per Capita Expenditure on Social Sector also increased from Rs 801 in 2005-06 to Rs. 6156 in 2021-22.
• The Lafe Expectancy at Birth (LEB) for Bihar has increased substantially from 65.8 years in 2006-10 to 69.5 years in 2016-20, registering an increase of 3.7 years over a period of ten years. Currently, the overall LEB of Bihar is only 0.5 years less than that of India (70.0 years).
• The extent of institutional delivery has significantly increased from 22.0 percent in 2005-06 to 76.2 percent in 2019-21, which indicates an increase of 54.2 percentage points according to the National Family Health Survey
• According to the latest Sample Registration System bulletin, MMR has declined from 165 per lakh live births in 2015-17 to 118 in 2018-20, resulting in a decline of 47 points.
• The annual growth rate of enrolment at the primary level in recent years is 4.1 percent.
• The total enrolment, taking both primary and upper primary levels, rose to 214.33 lakh in 2021-22 from 197.73 lakh in 2019-20, with an annual growth rate of 4.1 percent.
• In 2017-18, the coverage of PM-POSHAN for primary schools was 63.1 percent. Five years later, it has increased marginally to 64.4 percent (2021-22).
• The total outlay for women’s development has increased by 71.2 percent from 2016-17 to 2020-21. Outlays for women as a percentage of GSDP have been around 3.6 percent.
• Altogether, 75 Didi Ki Rasois are operational, providing employment to over 700 SHG members

Child Development

• With a child population of 4.98 crore, 48 percent of the total population in Bihar lies in the age group of 0-18 years. Out of these 4.98 crore children, 4.47 crore (89.9 percent) reside in rural areas and 0.50 crore (10.1 percent) live in urban areas. As per gender particulars, 2.35 crore are girls and 2.62 crore are boys.
• The adolescent population of Bihar aged between 10 and 19 years increased 1.3 times, from 1.83 crore in 2001 to 2.34 crore in 2011.
• The State government started preparing the Child Budget from 2013-14. The actual expenditure on children has increased by 85.7 percent from Rs. 16,638.5 crore in 2016-17 to Rs. 30,903.05 crore in 2020-21.
• The share of public expenditure on children in total GSDP rose to 5.3 percent in 2020-21 from 4.0 percent in 2016-17.
• Presently, ICDS is running through 544 project offices in 38 districts of Bihar.
• The budget for nutrition under ICDS increased at an annual rate of 9.7 percent, from Rs. 1352.33 crore in 2017-18 to Rs. 1896.45 crore in 2021-22.
• The coverage of functional drinking water facility and toilets in all types of schools are more than 95 percent in 2020-21 and 2021-22.
• Under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, a total of 1.12 lakh out-of-school children (OOSC) in the age group of 6-13 years were mainstreamed in 2020-21.

Environment, Climate Change and Disaster Management

• The forestry and logging sectors contributed to 1.6 percent of the Gross State Value Addition (GSVA) in Bihar over the last five years.
• In 2021-22, a total of 388.97 lakh plants were planted under the “Mission 5.0 Crore Plantation campaign” of the Jal-Jeevan Harivali Abhiyan.