In a big transfer, the Bihar authorities has relaxed the 75 per cent necessary attendance norm for college kids to avail advantages of uniform and bicycle schemes for the second time in an election yr. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) accused the BJP-Janata Dal (United) authorities, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, of utilizing schooling as an electoral instrument.
Roughly 2.5 crore college students from Class 1 to Class 12 profit from the uniform scheme, whereas round 17 lakh college students of Class 9 get bicycles. This leisure comes after an analogous transfer in 2020 forward of the Meeting polls. The 2025 Bihar Legislative Meeting election for all 243 constituencies shall be held later this yr.
Bihar Training Minister Sunil Kumar introduced within the Bihar Legislative Council, “From the tutorial session 2025-26, attendance of 75 per cent will not be necessary to avail advantages of uniform and bicycle schemes. College students can now obtain these advantages initially of the tutorial session.”
Beforehand, these advantages have been granted primarily based on attendance by September 30. College students in numerous lessons obtain various quantities: Class 1-2 college students get Rs 600, Class 3-5 college students obtain Rs 700, Class 6-8 college students get Rs 1,000, and Class 9-12 college students obtain Rs 1,500 yearly. Class 9 college students additionally obtain Rs 3,500 to purchase a bicycle.
The minister additional introduced that there shall be no further lessons throughout summer season holidays. Moreover, round 29,000 faculties may have computer systems for Class 6-8 college students.
The state authorities has allotted Rs 60,000 crore for schooling, prioritising it as a prime concern. In distinction, the state allotted Rs 4,000 crore for schooling in 2005-06. Bihar has round 74,500 faculties with an enrolment of roughly 2 crore college students.
RJD nationwide spokesperson Subodh Kumar Mehta mentioned, “The state authorities initially applied the 75 per cent attendance norm to enhance enrollment and schooling high quality. Nevertheless, it now views college students as a way to appease their households and garner votes.”
Story continues under this advert
Mehta, a Delhi College professor, added, “The Nitish (Kumar) authorities is catering to massive industries by supplying labour, resulting in important migration in Bihar over the previous 20 years. Stress-free the 75 per cent attendance norm displays the federal government’s non-serious strategy to schooling.”
Whereas JD(U) leaders declined to remark, BJP spokesperson Manoj Sharma mentioned, “Not the whole lot needs to be considered via an electoral lens. We should assess whether or not the 75 per cent necessary attendance norm is efficient. It may be a coincidence that the relief was thought-about in an election yr.”
© The Indian Specific Pvt Ltd
