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The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
On Independence day, Nitish announces to reduce fee to ₹100 for the preliminary test of the all competitive exams
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in his Independence Day address announced to provide more opportunities for government jobs and employment to the youth of the state. Making the new announcement, the Chief Minister said that the examination fee for the preliminary competitive examinations held for jobs in the state will be reduced to only ₹100 and no examination fee will be charged in the main examination. Mr. Kumar said that the government in the interest of the youth has decided to bring uniformity in the fees for the Preliminary Test (PT) of the competitive examinations conducted by all commissions. 'We have decided to charge only ₹100 as fee from the candidates appearing in the PT of the competitive exams be it Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC), Bihar Staff Selection Commission (BSSC), Bihar Technical Service Commission (BTSC), Bihar Police Subordinate Service Commission (BPSSC) and Central Constable Selection Board (CCSB) for state-level government jobs,'Mr. Kumar said. He further said that those candidates who pass the preliminary examination and appear for the main examination (Mains) will. no longer have to pay any examination fee. Mr. Kumar added that this step by the state government will benefit lakhs of youth. He asserted that the decision has been taken to ensure that more and more youths in the state get government jobs and employment. He pointed out that the initiative of the state government will encourage and motivate the youth to achieve their goals. Mr. Kumar emphasised that the state government is providing government jobs and employment to the youth in large numbers. 'The government is continuously working on employment and till date, about 10 lakh youth have been given government jobs. As far as employment is concerned, 39 lakh people have been given employment. More than 50 lakh government jobs and employment will be given before the upcoming assembly elections. It has been decided to provide jobs and employment to one crore youth in the next 5 years,'Mr. Kumar said. The Chief Minister also emphasized on women empowerment saying in 2006, 50% reservation for women was started in Panchayati Raj institutions and in the year 2007 in municipal bodies. 'Four elections have been held so far and a large number of women are getting elected. From 2013, 35% reservation was given to women in the police. Now the number of women in Bihar Police is the highest in the country. From 2016, women were given 35% reservation in government jobs,'Mr. Kumar said. In his address, Bihar CM said that the government has developed all sections from the very beginning be it Hindu, Muslim, upper caste, backward, extremely backward, Dalit or Mahadalit. Taking pride, Mr. Kumar said that his government has also done a lot of work for the Muslim community like Madrasas have been given government recognition and their teachers are being given salaries equal to government teachers. He explained that Bihar is developing rapidly and will continue to do so in future. Mr. Kumar listed out the recent announcement made by the government with regards to increasing the pension under social security schemes along with providing free electricity up to 125 units. He announced that special assistance will be given for setting up new industries in Bihar in which capital subsidy, interest subsidy and incentives given for GST will be doubled. 'Land will be arranged in all districts for setting up industries and those industries giving more employment will be given land for free. This facility will be given to industrialists in the next 6 months. New medical colleges and hospitals will be opened in 7 districts of the state - Kishanganj, Katihar, Rohtas, Sheohar, Lakhisarai, Sheikhpura and Arwal,'Mr. Kumar said. He praised the central government's decision to conduct a caste based census in the country and expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Time of India
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Ashok Ram joins JD(U), calls Cong ‘B-team' of RJD
1 2 Patna: Former Bihar Congress president Ashok Ram on Sunday joined the JD(U) on Sunday, declaring CM Nitish Kumar a "necessity" for the state and branding the Congress as the "B-team" of the RJD. Ram, a six-time MLA and member of the Congress Working Committee, formally joined the JD(U) along with his son Atirek Kumar and supporters. JD(U) national working president and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha and state president Umesh Singh Kushwaha welcomed them into the party. Ram's move, just days before Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's proposed "padyatra" in 18 districts from Aug 9 or 10, triggered speculation. Observers cited his alleged differences with senior Congress leaders and his demand for a ticket for his son from Samastipur as possible reasons for the defection. Speaking to the reporters before his induction, Ram said, "The Congress has no base in the state. The party has lost its identity because its decisions are taken either by the RJD or its national president, Lalu Prasad." Backing Nitish's leadership, Ram added, "The state needs the leadership of Nitish today more than ever, due to his vision, policies and welfare schemes for Dalit and Mahadalit communities. He is the NDA's leader and will remain so." Ram's entry was marked by a show of strength at JD(U)'s state headquarters, attended by ministers Vijay Kumar Choudhary and Shrawan Kumar and senior party leaders. "His grassroots connect will strengthen the JD(U)," said Jha. Kushwaha called him a "seasoned, experienced, and grassroots leader" while Choudhary praised his wide acceptance across communities. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Hindustan Times
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Keeping up with Bihar: Can Opposition replicate UP strategy amid secularism row?
In June, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale sparked controversy with his suggestion to review and remove the inclusion of the words 'socialism' and 'secularism' in the Constitution's Preamble during the Emergency. Speaking at Delhi's Ambedkar International Centre during an event marking 50 years of the imposition of the Emergency, Hosabale pointed out he was making the statement in a building named after the head of the drafting committee of the Constitution, which did not have these terms in its Preamble until the 1970s. Hosabale's suggestion came even as the Supreme Court in October 2024 called 'secularism' and 'socialism' as integral to the Constitution's basic framework, and months before the assembly elections in Bihar, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is yet to form a government on its own. Ahead of the 2015 Bihar polls, RSS leader Mohan Bhagwat's suggestion of a review of the reservations is believed to have hurt the BJP's prospects. The BJP's key Bihar ally, chief minister Nitish Kumar, and his Janata Dal (U) or JD(U), swear by socialism and secularism. Electoral impact In Uttar Pradesh, the fear of changes to the Constitution hurt the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, with a sizable section of Dalits and Extremely Backward Castes (EBC) backing the Samajwadi Party (SP), which contested the polls with the Congress. The Congress was the preferred party of the Dalits until the late 1980s. In 2024, the Dalits appeared determined to thwart the BJP's efforts to win over 400 seats, which they believed would enable it to amend the Constitution. The BJP does not appear to be worried about any adverse electoral impact of Hosabale's suggestion. Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan backed Hosabale, citing India's core cultural values. He said Congress added secularism during the Emergency. Chauhan maintained that socialism is redundant as equality is part of the country's basic ethos. Former JD(U) leader Shambhu Sharan Srivastava said the Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) could replicate the Uttar Pradesh strategy in Bihar. He said RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has started raising the issue, connecting the government benefits, including quota and free ration, with socialism. 'It is resonating with people running from pillar to post to get their new voters' cards [as per the electoral roll revision].' Srivastava called Congress's move to appoint a Mahadalit as the Bihar chief a masterstroke. 'Congress leader [Rahul] Gandhi has also visited Bihar 10 times, evoking interest in Dalits and EBCs disillusioned with JD(U)...the news of Nitish Kumar's sickness has started spreading in villages also,' Srivastava said this vote bank was looking at Congress as an option, as it would not vote for the RJD or the BJP. Yadav and Gandhi could turn the tide by replaying the Uttar Pradesh strategy over the possibility of the removal of socialism and secularism from the Constitution's preamble. A section of voters remain suspicious about the BJP's intentions vis-à-vis the Constitution. The social justice plank led to the emergence of leaders such as Lalu Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan in Bihar, the land of socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan, and Mulayam Singh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh. Political analyst Abhay Kumar Singh attributed the BJP's dismal show in the 2015 Bihar polls to the JD(U) and RJD alliance, underplaying the impact of Bhagwat's comments on a review of reservation policy. He added JD(U) and RJD alliance's base votes of Kurmis, Yadavs, and Muslims have since broken. Unlike Uttar Pradesh, Dalits are not a cohesive political force in Bihar as they lack leaders like Kanshi Ram and Mayawati, who made them an influential vote bank. Dalits in Bihar are fragmented. Bihar's Dalit leaders Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi are both with the BJP-led alliance and have the support of their caste votes. The RJD and the Congress have been getting support from non-Paswans and non-Manjhi Dalit votes. Besides building caste-based social coalitions, the BJP is known to divide the votes against them. The Congress is on a path of recovery and is an option for Dalits, if they move away from Nitish Kumar. However, BSP and Azad Samaj Party are in the fray but they may not attract their much support. The only Brahmin-led party, Jan Suraaj, of Prashant Kishor, is contesting its first election. He is sparing none in his attacks, but he could damage the prospects of the RJD alliance as well as the BJP by attracting the Brahmin votes.
Hindustan Times
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
PM Modi targets RJD, Cong in marker for Bihar elections
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a meeting in Siwan, Bihar, targeted the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress, talked up his National Demoratic Alliance's development credentials , and inaugurated projects worth ₹ 11,000 crore from a stage replete with eight Union ministers, the state's chief minister and two deputy chief ministers, providing a curtain raiser to assembly elections due later this year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to the crowd on his way to address a public rally with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary in Siwan, Bihar. (Santosh Kumar/HT) The Congress and the RJD hurt Bihar's pride and kept the state poor due to mafia raj, goonda raj and corruption, Modi said , taking a pointed shot at RJD's Lalu Prasad and alleging that the former chief minister insulted BR Ambedkar. The PM was speaking after laying the foundation stone of and inaugurating multiple development projects worth ₹ 11,000 crore. Modi, who is on a three-state tour, inaugurated the new Vaishali-Deoria railway line and a Vande Bharat Express between Patliputra and Gorakhpur via Muzaffarpur and Bettiah. He also flagged off a state-of-the-art locomotive - the first built at a plant in Marhowra in Saran district – for export to the Republic of Guinea. Modi said the Congress did not allow Bihar to move out of poverty and the worst sufferers were Dalit, Mahadalit, backward classes and Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), while in the last 11 years a record 250 million Indians moved out of poverty. 'Bihar under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar played a key role in it, as 3.75-crore (37.5 million) people from the state pulled themselves out of poverty. Despite so many years of independence, half the population lived below the poverty line. People struggled to beat poverty, as they could not find a way. The state was reduced to a migration centre and destined to live with the misfortune of poverty. Now, it is time to be wary of the same forces, who kept it poor, as they are desperate for power while the state has prepared the launchpad for rapid growth,' he added. Bihar governor Arif Mohammad Khan, chief minister Nitish Kumar, Union ministers Jitan Ram Manjhi, Giriraj Singh, Lalan Singh, Chirag Paswan, Ramnath Thakur, Nityanand Rai, Satishchandra Dubey, and Raj Bhushan Choudhary, deputy CMs Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, state health minister Mangal Pandey and former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha were present on the occasion. This is PM's fourth visit to Bihar this year and third since April 24 in what is viewed as a build up for the crucial state elections scheduled in October-November. He reached the venue in a road show, waving to the people from an open vehicle along with CM Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM Choudhary. Siwan is the birthplace of India's first President Dr Rajendra Prasad. Modi, who did not mention RJD's Prasad by name, also referred to a recent controversy where a portrait of Ambedkar was placed close to the feet of the ailing septuagenarian on his 78th birthday on June 11. 'Ambedkar was against dynasty rule. But they (RJD and its allies) do not like it. So they have his portrait placed at their feet. On my way, I saw posters demanding an apology for this insult to Babasaheb,' said Modi. 'But there has been no apology. This is because they hold Dalits in contempt. In contrast, Modi has Babasaheb in his heart and would like to keep his portrait close to his chest,' he added. According to the RJD, the controversy arose because of the camera angle at Prasad's residence. The party has said Prasad had his feet on a sofa because of 'medical advice', and a supporter stood close carrying the portrait of India's first law minister. Modi said that the panja (or hand – the Congress's symbol) and the lantern (the RJD's symbol) worked with a motive of 'Parivar ka Saath aur Parivar ka Vikas' (Support to family, growth to family), while the NDA works for Sabka saath, Sabka Vikas (inclusive development for all). He warned that those who brought 'jungle raj' to Bihar were looking for an opportunity to repeat their old deeds. 'You have to be very cautious for the bright future of your children. People who are ready to put the brakes on Bihar's developmental journey have to be kept at bay, as a prosperous Bihar is important for a prosperous India,' he added. Remembering Rajendra Prasad, Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan, and social reformer Braj Kishor Prasad, Modi said Siwan was the land that lent strength to democracy and the Constitution and played a big role in the freedom movement. 'We are trying to take the same spirit forward with inclusive growth so that nobody is discriminated against and even the world recognises India's growth journey to be the third largest economy. I have faith in your abilities, as you are the ones who ended jungle Raj and then worked with the NDA to put the state on track,' he added. The PM said that the Marhowra rail factory was an example of the kind of Bihar the NDA striving to create. 'With the export of locomotives, Saran, which was abandoned by the RJD as backward, has made its place on the global map. Jungle Raj had stalled the growth engine, but now Bihar's engine will run in Africa. Bihar will be a big centre for Make in India and contribute to the nation's growth,' Modi said. The PM said in the last 10-11 years, over 55,000 kms of rural roads were built, 15 million houses got power connection and tap water, 45,000 common service centres were started and now there was a wave of start-ups in towns and cities. CM Nitish, who has been critical of the RJD over its governance track record, took potshots at the main rival, without naming the party. 'Did the ones in power until we took over care for governance? People were scared of stepping out of their homes because of the law and order situation. Such a contrasting sight today when we have boys, girls, and so many women moving freely,'he said. Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Tejashwi Yadav blunted the PM's attack and asked him to stop misleading the people. 'Why is Bihar still grappling with poverty, unemployment, migration, pitiable state of health and education, gross nepotism in appointments, poor state of industrialisation? He[Modi] has no answer, but he can only mislead. The crowd was forcibly assembled for the rally,' he said.
India Today
15-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Insult to Dalits: Row over video showing Lalu Yadav's feet near Ambedkar photo
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav has landed in the eye of a political storm after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) posted a video purportedly showing a portrait of Dr B R Ambedkar placed at his feet during his 78th birthday celebrations. In the latest developments, the State Scheduled Caste Commission on Sunday issued a notice to Lalu Yadav, seeking a written explanation within 15 days. The notice, issued by Commission Vice-Chairman Devendra Kumar, states that failure to respond within the stipulated time frame could invite legal action. advertisementPOLITICAL REACTIONSThe incident has triggered widespread outrage across the political spectrum and among Dalit rights activists. BJP has accused the RJD of consistently disrespecting Ambedkar and Dalit sentiments. BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla claimed the incident exposed RJD's 'non-constitutional ideology.' "The insult to Scheduled Castes and Dalits represents the real identity of the RJD and its allies, Congress and the INDI Alliance. The way BR Ambedkar's picture was placed under the feet of Lalu Prasad Yadav and the indecency shown with the image of Ambedkar, this is the original character of RJD,' Poonawalla said in an interview with news agency ANI. He further alleged that for the RJD, 'family and power' matter more than the Constitution or social Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Samrat Choudhary echoed similar sentiments and condemned the act as an 'unpardonable insult' and called it a 'dark chapter in Bihar's political history.' He demanded a public apology from Lalu Bihar Chief Minister and Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi too slammed the RJD chief, stating, 'Placing Dr Ambedkar's portrait at one's feet is not just an insult to our icon, but to all Dalits. Even Lalu's own community will not tolerate this.'The JD(U), RJD's former ally, also denounced the incident. Party general secretary Shyam Rajak, a former RJD leader himself, called the act "petty and unforgivable.' Speaking at a press conference, he said, 'The people of Bihar will not forgive this display of arrogance and disrespect toward Babasaheb.'Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad termed the act a 'grave insult to the Constitution' and said it exposed a 'feudal mindset.' LJP (Ram Vilas) MP Shambhavi Choudhary accused the RJD of 'continuously misleading and disrespecting Dalit and Mahadalit communities.'Political strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor also waded into the controversy, targeting the Congress for its silence. At a press conference in Muzaffarpur, he challenged Rahul Gandhi to condemn Lalu Yadav. 'The Congress has become a sidekick of RJD in Bihar. If Rahul Gandhi wants to prove otherwise, let him issue one statement criticizing Lalu Prasad,' Kishor YADAV DEFENDS FATHERMeanwhile, RJD leader and former Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav came to his father's defense, accusing the BJP of spreading lies and politicising the (BJP) people have nothing to do with Baba Saheb, the Constitution, and Reservation. Lalu Yadav has installed many statues of Baba Saheb Ambedkar in Bihar. We are the people who believe in Ambedkar's ideology. The BJP only spread lies," Tejashwi said. He added that his father, despite being 78 and ailing, continues to work tirelessly and meet people. 'He works 10 hours a day. Yet they target him with such baseless allegations.'Must Watch IN THIS STORY#Bihar
