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With a landslide victory in Bihar assembly polls placing the NDA firmly in the saddle, leaders of the alliance on Saturday appeared to have got down to the brass tacks of forming a new government in the state. Coalition partners made a beeline at 1, Anne Marg, the official residence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the longest-serving incumbent, who heads the JD(U). Notable visitors included Union minister Chirag Paswan, who is excited at the prospects of his Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) sharing power in the state as well. I have congratulated Nitish Kumar ji on the victory. The NDA's win puts paid to the opposition's false narrative that there has been a rift between the two of us. Even during the campaign, the CM canvassed in seats where our candidate was contesting. We reciprocated the gesture and supported the JD(U) candidate in Alauli, which has been our home turf, Paswan told reporters. Situated in his native Khagaria district, Alauli, a reserved seat, was represented by th
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday announced a 'domicile policy' in the recruitment of government teachers. The CM, however, did not specify what percentage of recruitments was to be reserved for those born and raised in the state. The announcement came ahead of the assembly elections in the state, which are due this year. "The Education Department has been directed to make necessary amendments to the relevant rules to give priority to the residents (domicile) of Bihar in the recruitment of teachers," Kumar said in a post on X. "Since the formation of the government in November 2005, we have been continuously working to improve the education system. A large number of teachers have been appointed to strengthen the education system," he said. This will be implemented from the Teachers Recruitment Exam (TRE)-4, which will be conducted this year, while TRE-5 will be held in 2026, the chief minister said. Instructions have also been given to conduct Secondary Teachers Eligibi
Union minister Chirag Paswan on Saturday said he felt "sorry to support" the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar, charging it with failure to control the law and order situation in the state. Paswan, who heads the LJP (Ram Vilas) -- a constituent of the BJP-led NDA, was talking to reporters in Patna before leaving for Gayaji, where he is scheduled to address a rally. "I have heard claims that the recent spurt in violent crimes is linked to the upcoming assembly polls, and there are attempts to defame this government. Still, it is the responsibility of the administration to keep the law and order situation under control. I feel sorry to support a government which is failing on this count," said the Hajipur MP. "The situation in the state has become scary. The administrative failure is being blamed on both rank incompetence and connivance with criminals," he added. Paswan claimed that almost every day, incidents of murder, kidnapping, dacoity and rape are being reported from the ...
Union Food Processing Minister Chirag Paswan on Wednesday stressed on the need to correct false narrative that processed food are bad for health. The Food Processing Industries Ministry has set up a committee in this regards, he added. Addressing a press conference to announce World Food India event, Paswan said that the level of food processing is still low in the country and there is a huge scope for growth in this sector. He said this sector can boost farmers income and also provide huge job opportunities to youth. Paswan spoke about "misleading advertisements" that brand processed food as "bad". False narratives are being set that processed food losses nutrients value, he added. Paswan said there is a growing demand for ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook foods because of nuclear families and working couples. Food regulator FSSAI ensures the safety of food products, he added. Paswan announced his ministry will hold flagship conference 'World Food India 2025' in the national cap
BJP ally and Union minister Chirag Paswan on Saturday asked the opposition to support the bills proposing simultaneous elections to end the debate over Union Budgets allegedly favouring poll-bound states after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a host of development initiatives for Bihar. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader's jibe at the opposition came after some of its MPs linked the Bihar-centric announcements in the Union Budget to the assembly polls scheduled to be held in the eastern state later this year. The Union minister slammed the criticism, wondering why opposition parties are objecting to the development measures for Bihar. "In such a case they (opposition parties) should not fight the polls in Bihar. Bihar is also a part of this country and if it has got something, what is wrong with that? Announcements have been made to build IIT, greenfield airports, and food processing chains... All of this will be greatly beneficial for the youth of Bihar. What i
In an embarrassment to the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar, Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Wednesday backed to the hilt the demand for cancellation of BPSC exams held last month. Paswan, whose Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) is an NDA constituent but not a part of the government in the state, said he learnt about "irregularities on a large scale" in the exams from close relatives who were among the more than four lakh candidates. "Many members of my family, my nieces and a nephew, took the exams. I have learnt from them the shocking lapses that took place," said the Hajipur MP when he was asked about his stand on the Combined Competitive Exams held on December 13. Paswan said he was told "at many some centres, question papers were not available in adequate numbers. So, these were printed after the tests had officially begun. After a short while, these question papers were for all to see on social media platforms like WhatsApp and X". The Union minister lambasted the BPSC authorit
Pitching for taking Indian food products global, Union minister Chirag Paswan has said that the Indian processed food sector has huge potential for growth in the international markets. Here for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, Paswan told PTI that the food processing ministry allocated to him by Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes with a huge responsibility. "Our aim is how we can help our farmers more while also strengthening the food processing industry of the country," Paswan said soon after reaching Davos on Monday evening. In an agriculture-dominated country like India, the food processing industry can play a key role in ensuring the economic progress of our farmers, he said. Referring to the prime minister's aim to make India a developed nation by 2047, Paswan said the food processing sector will have a significant contribution in achieving that goal. "Earlier, our farmers used to face a lot of post-harvest issues, but in the last ten years we have seen a lot of new .