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Time of India
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Bihar: Nitish Kumar announces 3x pay hike for Asha workers; Mamta incentives doubled
NEW DELHI: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday announced an increment in the honorarium of Asha and Mamata workers for playing "a key enhancing healthcare services in rural areas" of the state. In a social media post on X, Nitish said that the incentive for Asha workers will be increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,000. Meanwhile, Mamta workers will be provided an incentive of 600 rupees per child birth delivery instead of 300 rupees. "Since forming the government in November 2005, we have undertaken extensive efforts to improve healthcare services. Asha and Mamta workers have played a significant role in enhancing healthcare services in rural areas. Keeping this in mind and honouring the vital contributions of ASHA and Mamta workers in strengthening healthcare services in rural areas, a decision has been made to increase their honorarium," Nitish said. "Asha workers will now receive an incentive of 3,000 rupees instead of 1,000 rupees. Additionally, Mamta workers will be provided an incentive of 600 rupees per delivery instead of 300 rupees, which will further boost their morale and strengthen healthcare services in rural areas," he added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Mini House for 60 sqm for Seniors with Toilet and Bath (Price May Surprise You) Pre Fabricated Homes | Search Ads Search Now Undo Ahead of the upcoming assembly elections scheduled for the end of the year, CM Nitish has announced a series of social welfare initiatives aimed at expanding the safety net. In a recent move, the Bihar government announced a hike in the pension of accredited journalists under the Bihar Patrakaar Samman Pension Scheme. The state cabinet also approved a new domicile policy that limits the existing 35% reservation for women in government jobs to only those who are permanent residents of Bihar. In addition, the government has introduced a provision of 125 units of free electricity for domestic consumers. Bihar government on Sunday also approved the formation of the State Sanitation Workers Commission to safeguard the rights of sanitation workers and ensure their welfare, rehabilitation, empowerment, and access to government schemes.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Nitish Kumar has a succession problem. Is his son the answer?
Written by Mrityunjay Sharma A puzzle has engaged everyone in Bihar over the last few months: Whether Nishant, Nitish Kumar's son, will join politics. Ever since his first public appearance in January, appealing to the people to vote for his father, political circles have been abuzz. Media speculation has only intensified, with significant political figures from both within and outside the JD(U) pitching for Nishant to take up the reins of the party. The latest to join this chorus is Upendra Kushwaha, Nitish's old ally and currently the leader of an NDA constituent, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party. In a recent comment, Kushwaha urged Nitish to hand over the party's leadership to Nishant, warning that any delay may cause irreparable damage. While Kushwaha's statement may carry political undertones, what he said appears to reflect the JD(U)'s only viable option. In the ever-evolving landscape of Indian politics, dynastic succession is no longer a surprise; it is a pattern. Nishant, an engineering graduate from BIT Mesra, has consistently maintained his disinterest in politics and expressed a personal inclination toward spirituality. What also makes Nishant's case particularly intriguing is that for years, Nitish has positioned himself as a leader different from Bihar's family-driven political model. Unlike his contemporaries — Lalu Prasad and Mulayam Singh Yadav — who openly groomed their sons as successors, Nitish Kumar never gave any such indication. Yet, as age catches up, the absence of a clear successor has begun to haunt the JD (U), making a once-unthinkable family transition appear increasingly inevitable. In Indian politics, where legacy often triumphs over merit, dynastic succession is more of a norm than an anomaly. From the Nehru-Gandhi family in the Congress to the Yadavs of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the Thackerays of Maharashtra, the Badals of Punjab, and the DMK's dominance in Tamil Nadu, leadership succession through family ties is more of a survival strategy than a coincidence. The case of Nishant Kumar is merely another instance of this larger trend where smaller political parties, rather than fostering new leadership, pass on the reins within the family to ensure continuity. While some may argue that dynastic politics is more common in larger parties like the Congress, it is far more pronounced — and often necessary —for regional and smaller parties. Unlike national parties, which have the backing of a larger ideological structure and grassroots cadre, regional parties are often built around one strong leader. When such a leader ages or retires, the most obvious successor is someone from the family, seen as a natural inheritor of the party's legacy and vote base. While Nitish Kumar tried to groom several potential successors, all eventually fell out of favour. R C P Singh, once his closest aide, was sidelined due to his proximity to the BJP. Upendra Kushwaha, seen as an OBC leader from his kindred Koeri caste, clashed with Nitish and was ousted. Prashant Kishor, despite Nitish's fondness, was never fully embraced due to his independent streak. Some speculate Manish Verma, a new entrant from the bureaucracy, as a future leader, but the JD(U)'s history suggests that no one outside the Kumar surname will be able to match themselves up to Nitish. What the JD(U) is moving towards is a lesson learned from Indian politics: Parties without a clear family succession have struggled to survive. While Mulayam Singh Yadav's SP and Lalu Prasad's RJD continue to thrive after handing over power to their sons, Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has struggled to pass on the baton to her nephew, Akash Anand in a bid to salvage her legacy. The late Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP offers another example. The original party split, and most of the party leaders went with Late Ram Vilas's brother, Pashupati Nath Paras, following a feud. However, the electorate still associates the LJP with Chirag Paswan, who has now reclaimed the party's legacy under a new political entity. Similarly, the BJD in Odisha faces uncertainty post-Naveen Patnaik era, with no clear family succession line. The trend is visible beyond the Hindi heartland as well. While DMK has been holding power in Tamil Nadu following a clear dynastic succession, the AIADMK has suffered in the absence of clear leadership post-Jayalalithaa. Unlike the BJP and Left parties, which have largely distanced themselves from dynastic politics and promoted second-rung leadership, regional and smaller parties often do not have the luxury of a strong ideological foundation. Their entire political existence is tied to the charisma of one leader. When that leader fades, keeping power within the family is often seen as the easiest way to ensure continuity. But this also raises critical concerns. Does dynastic succession hinder democratic party structures? Does it prevent the rise of talented grassroots leaders who are not part of the family? In many cases, the answer is yes. Regional parties rarely develop a robust second line of leadership, making it almost inevitable that leadership is passed within the family. Unlike the RJD or the SP, which have strong caste-based vote banks, the JD(U)'s voter base is fragmented, spread across voting blocs such as those of the EBCs and women voters. Nitish Kumar himself has relied on his good governance image and coalition politics rather than caste-based mobilisation. If Nishant Kumar does step into politics, he will have his task cut out. His success will hinge on whether he can craft an independent political identity or merely serve as a symbolic extension of his father's legacy. Complicating matters further, Nishant will face stiff competition from other political scions like Tejashwi Yadav and Chirag Paswan — both of whom have not only inherited political capital but also years of head-start in navigating Bihar's complex political terrain. While no confirmation has come yet, the speculation around Nishant Kumar suggests that even a party like the JD(U), which prided itself on governance and ideology, is finding it difficult to break free from dynastic patterns. This reflects a broader crisis in Indian politics, where family remains the strongest political capital, and where survival, more than ideology or governance, dictates leadership transitions. As long as political parties continue to be personal enterprises rather than institutional entities, the cycle of family-driven leadership will continue, no matter how much the electorate criticises it. The writer is a BJP Leader and author of Broken Promises: Caste, Crime and Politics in Bihar
India Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Why Chirag Paswan's barb on Bihar law and order hits Nitish where it hurts
On a humid afternoon in Gaya, Union minister Chirag Paswan stood before the media, his demeanour at odds with the placid landscape of Bihar's political theatre. 'It seems the police and administration have quite literally surrendered to the criminals,' he declared, voice clipped, gaze indictment—'murders, kidnappings, loot, dacoity and rape one after another, yet the state apparatus prostrated'—cut through the usual cadence of ritual obeisance bestowed upon coalition the uninitiated, such blistering rebuke might suggest a schism within the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA); in reality, it signalled a meticulously calibrated thrust from an ascendant politician. Chirag's target was unmistakable: the Janata Dal (United) and its leader, chief minister Nitish Kumar, the very custodian of Bihar's home yet, the BJP—the big brother in the NDA in Bihar—remained conspicuously mute, refraining from either full-throated endorsement of Nitish or repudiation of Chirag's barbs. This moment, however theatrical, is far from spontaneous. In the 2020 assembly polls, Chirag's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) had contested 135 seats, cannibalising the JD(U)'s support base and pushing its tally down to 43—a manoeuvre that echoed in the confines of the legislative assembly long after the votes had been with Nitish's aura dimmed by age and whispers of faltering health, Chirag perhaps discerns an opening. His intervention taps into a growing unease among Bihar's electorate—urban or rural—who no longer content themselves with welfare hand-outs; they demand streets that do not echo with Bihar's law-and-order record has remained deeply challenging. Over the past few weeks, the state has witnessed a disturbing spate of murders, kidnappings and violent offences, often committed with brazen impunity. Local police frequently operate in a reactive mode—arriving only after crimes have been reported, rather than deploying proactive patrols or intelligence-led operations to prevent public denunciation, therefore, was no mere rhetorical flourish: without naming Nitish, he singled out the chief minister's home department as the one that has 'surrendered' before criminals, effectively targeting squarely at the state's highest beneath the surface urgency lies a deeper ambition: to recast the LJP from a supporting actor into a power player. A senior BJP operative confided, 'Chirag is determined to break the LJP mould, to forge it into a pan-Bihar force.'On paper, the NDA enjoys a formidable position in Bihar. In the 2024 general election, it secured 30 of the state's 40 Lok Sabha seats, besides maintaining leads in the majority of assembly segments, buttressed by a carefully cultivated social coalition. Yet, beneath this veneer of dominance lurk fresh now appears as a pale shadow of his former self—his health and political heft visibly diminished—while the BJP, buoyed by newfound confidence, is less inclined than ever to play entirely to its JD(U) partner. Into this widening fissure steps in Chirag, whose 'Bihar Bula Raha Hai' campaign has so far been a clarion call to disaffected voters. Sensing a vacuum at the apex of state power, he is positioning himself as the fresh face of Bihar's next political the subtext of his rhetoric is clear: to present himself not merely as the scion of Ram Vilas Paswan's formidable legacy but as its modern interpreter. Ram Vilas, tantalisingly close to kingmaker status in February 2005, saw his moment dissipate. Now, in his early forties, Chirag carries the weight of unfinished business. Like a craftsman refining a blueprint, he has spent years building visibility—visiting panchayats, attending villagers' weddings, raising his voice where others remain Bihar's exquisitely balanced electoral tapestry, Chirag's true value lies not in the raw tally of votes but in the pivot he represents. At his behest, alliances can shift; governments can teeter. His outburst in Gaya was no mere performance, but a calculated proclamation of intent: that the LJP will no longer stand in the shadows, waiting to be summoned. Instead, it will command the stage, and its young leader—unbowed, unreserved—will claim the limelight, which many believe Chirag truly to India Today Magazine- EndsTune InMust Watch
India Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
Nitish Kumar Reddy reaffirms commitment towards SRH: Will always stand by team
Nitish Kumar Reddy has reaffirmed his commitment towards Sunrisers Hyderabad after a report on Sunday, July 27 suggested that he was looking for a move away from the franchise. Sources had suggested to India Today that Nitish was looking for a fresh start, after being retained by SRH ahead of the 2025 paid 6 crore rupees to retain the services of the all-rounder, but he didn't enjoy a great campaign in IPL 2025. It was learnt that Nitish wasn't happy with his role with SRH. The 22-year-old played the entire season as a batter and bowled just 5 overs throughout the was expected that Nitish was set to court interest from many seasons if he was heading into the auction pool. However, the all-rounder reiterated his love for SRH in a tweet on Sunday. Nitish said that he tends to stay away from the noise but decided to give some clarity about the situation. Nitish said that his connection with SRH is built on trust, respect and shared passion. The all-rounder signed off by saying that he will stand by the team."I tend to stay away from the noise, but some things deserve clarity. My connection with SRH is built on trust, respect, and years of shared passion. I'll always stand by this team," said can see the tweet below: Nitish's journey with SRH so farNitish was included as a part of SRH in the 2023 season, where played two matches. It was during the 2024 campaign that the youngster made a name for himself as he scored 303 runs and three wickets. Nitish was adjudged as the Emerging Player Of The Season as SRH made it to the final of the 2024 season. However, the all-rounder couldn't replicate his best form in 2025 and scored 182 runs in 13 matches. After Heinrich Klaasen made the No.4 spot his own, Nitish was being floated around and struggled to nail down a foxed spot in the batting order. - EndsTune InMust Watch
India Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
Retained in mega-auction, Nitish Reddy contemplating SunRisers Hyderabad exit
Star all-rounder Nitish Reddy wants to leave the SunRisers Hyderabad. Sources close to the development have told India Today that Reddy is looking for a fresh start, just one year after he was retained in the mega-auction by the Indian Premier League paid Nitish Kumar Reddy Rs 6 crore to retain the player in the mega-auction. He was one of the five players that SRH retained after reaching the final in the 2024 season. Nitish and Abhishek Sharma were the only two Indian players who were shown trust by the franchise going into the mega-auction in December India Today has learnt that the all-rounder is not very happy with his role. Nitish played 13 matches in the 2025 season of the IPL. He predominantly played as a batter, bowling only 5 overs in the entire season. Nitish batted between No.5-No.7 positions, with the majority of his matches coming at No.6 or No.7. This significantly reduced his output with the bat, as the all-rounder fetched only 182 runs in 13 games, a significant reduction from his output in 2024, where he scored 303 have told the masthead that Nitish wanted the No.4 role in SRH last season and agreed to the retention after getting assurances. However, as it turned out in the 2025 season, tricky pitches in the IPL meant that the franchise needed an experienced campaigner at No.4, a role that was given to Heinrich in his new No.4 role, had his career-best season in the IPL, hitting 487 runs at a strike rate of 172.70, including one case Nitish does leave SRH and goes into the auction pool, it is expected that several teams will be interested in the services of the player, who has the ability to bowl fast and hit big shots at Lands in Legal TroubleMeanwhile, the all-rounder has got himself into legal trouble with his former player agency Square The One. Nitish Reddy's former agent has filed a petition against him, seeking over Rs 5 crore in unpaid Today had reported earlier that the relationship between Nitish Reddy and his former player management agency, Square The One, broke down during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The player subsequently signed with the manager of another India cricketer who was also part of that management agency, Square The One Private Limited, has filed a petition under Section 11(6) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, alleging breach of the management agreement and non-payment of dues. The case is expected to be heard in the Delhi High Court on July 28.- EndsTune InMust Watch
