Page 26 - Nitish Kumar

Bihar caste census: 63% people from backward, extremely backward classes

According to the survey, 27.1 per cent of Bihar's population is from Backward Classes while 36 per cent of the population is from Extremely Backward Classes (EBC)

OBCs, EBCs comprise more than 63% of Bihar's population: Caste survey

The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar on Monday released findings of its much-awaited caste survey, which revealed that OBCs and EBCs constitute a whopping 63 per cent of the state's total population. According to the data released here by Development Commissioner Vivek Singh, the state's total population stood at a little over 13.07 crore, out of which, the Extremely Backward Classes (36 per cent) were the largest social segment followed by the Other Backward Classes at 27.13 per cent. The survey also stated that Yadavs, the OBC group to which Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav belongs, were the largest in terms of population, accounting for 14.27 per cent of the total. Notably, the survey was ordered last year after the Narendra Modi government at the Centre made it clear that it would not be able to undertake a headcount of castes other than SCs and STs as part of the census.

Bihar govt promoting cultivation of aromatic, medicinal plants: Minister

To encourage farmers to diversify from traditional paddy cultivation to commercially viable farming, the Bihar government has come out with several incentives and subsidies for planting aromatic and medicinal plants in the state. The state agriculture department has come out with several incentives for farmers to promote cultivation of 'lemongrass', 'palmarosa', 'shatavari', 'tulsi', mulberry', 'khas', 'gooseberry', 'bael', 'tamarind', 'jackfruit', and lemon plants. Bihar Agriculture Minister Kumar Sarvjeet told PTI on Saturday that, "The government is coming out with several incentives and subsidies to farmers to help cultivate aromatic and medicinal plants in the state. The growing health awareness has created a lot of opportunities for innovation in the agriculture sector and the government is helping farmers to exploit this opportunity. This is the time Bihar farmers must opt from traditional paddy cultivation to commercially viable farming". This scheme will be implemented main

Main aim is to strengthen INDIA: Nitish on speculations of return to NDA

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday rubbished speculations in a section of the media about his party JD(U)'s return to the BJP-led NDA, with which it snapped ties around a year ago, and said his prime concern was to strengthen opposition INDIA bloc. Responding to reporters' queries on the speculations, Kumar said, "Kya faltu baat hai" (what rubbish!). The JD(U) leader, who is a key figure in the anti-BJP INDIA coalition, also voiced his disapproval of party colleagues talking about him having "all qualities for making a good PM". "I have already told my party colleagues not to make such statements. My only wish is to strengthen the unity of the INDIA alliance. I am working only in this direction," he said. Bihar Assembly Deputy Speaker and senior JD(U) leader Maheshwar Hazari had said that no one is more capable of becoming the PM candidate of the INDIA alliance than Nitish Kumar. On a question on possibility of cabinet expansion, Kumar put the ball in his deputy Tejashwi

Delayed for 1st time, census should begin immediately: Bihar CM Nitish

A day after the Centre asserted that the census would begin soon after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday said the enumeration exercise should commence "immediately". The JD(U) supreme leader also said the census should have been completed in 2021, claiming that the "decadal census has been delayed in the country for the first time". Why wait for the 2024 Lok Sabha pollswhy not now? The decadal census should begin immediately. The Centre should start the enumeration exercise immediately," Kumar told reporters here when asked about Union Home Minister Amit Shah's announcement on the census. Shah on Wednesday asserted that the census would begin soon after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. "The enumeration exercise should have been completed in 2021. This is for the first time, the decadal census has been delayed in the country. There is no need to delay it further. We wanted a caste-based headcount along with the census but the Centre did not agree. ...

Have been vocal for women's quota since I was MP: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday asserted that he was in support of women's reservation in Parliament and state assemblies though there must be provisions for adequate representation of SCs, STs, OBCs and EBCs. Speaking to reporters, he urged the Centre to move fast on implementing the proposals in the women's reservation bill by conducting the census, and consider his long-standing demand for a caste census. "I have been in support of women's reservation. Why should they not be assured representation? My speeches during the days I was a member of parliament bear testimony to my stand that remains unchanged," said Kumar. "We have ensured adequate representation of women wherever it is possible. In panchayats, urban local bodies, government jobs, including the police force, the representation of women in Bihar is highest for any state in the country," he added. Kumar said it must also be ensured that there is a provision for ensuring that women from SCs, STs, OBCs and

Hum taiyyar hai, says Nitish on possibility of LS polls being advanced

, Claiming the ruling BJP at the Centre was planning to bring forward Lok Sabha elections, Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar on Monday said, "'Humlog har samay taiyyar hai (We are always ready)". The JD (U) leader, who had snapped ties with BJP a year ago and has played an instrumental role in bringing various opposition parties together in forming the INDIA bloc, also asserted that the multi-party alliance was 'intact', dispelling apprehensions of internal rift. I have been saying that the NDA government at the Centre is planning to hold early Lok Sabha polls. Humlog Har Samai Tayyar Hai (We are always ready) ... Let them hold it early, Kumar told reporters here. The CM made the remark here in reply to questions from journalists who sought his views on the possibility of advancing Lok Sabha polls by the Center. Kumar said, We all are united and intact. We have been working for the people and will continue to serve people. We have done a lot of developmental work in Bihar. From ..

BJP scared of Opposition unity: Nitish, Tejashwi on simultaneous election

Attacking the Centre on the census, Nitish Kumar said, "Union government should have conducted the survey of the population, but they did not, and now they want to conduct an election"

INDIA bloc to hold country-wide programmes on Gandhi Jayanti: Nitish Kumar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday said that the opposition coalition INDIA will be holding country-wide programmes on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on October 2. Without revealing details of the proposed programmes, the leader of the JD(U), a constituent of INDIA, said that a decision in this regard was taken at the just concluded conclave of the opposition alliance in Mumbai. Kumar claimed that the BJP-led NDA was rattled by the unity of the opposition and, therefore, the central government has convened later this month a special session of Parliament, the agenda for which has not been revealed. We have taken a resolution that the INDIA alliance will celebrate Gandhi Jayanti across the country. The INDIA alliance has rattled the ruling BJP which has forced the Central government to explore the possibility of holding assembly and national elections simultaneously. The move betrays panic in the BJP after they saw the unity of opposition parties under the INDIA coalition

'It's hidden yes in no': Jitan Ram Manjhi on Nitish Kumar's PM aspirations

Manjhi said if Shravan Kumar is saying something consider it being said by Nitish Kumar

Caste-based survey exercise completed, data being compiled: Nitish Kumar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday said the caste-based survey in the state has been completed and the state government would soon make the data public. He asserted that the caste survey would be beneficial for all sections of the society. Talking to reporters here, Kumar said, "The caste-based headcount exercise in the state has been completed. Now the data is being compiled and it will soon be made public". "The caste-based survey in the state is beneficial for all. It will enable the government to work for the development of various sections of society, including those who are deprived. This will help us to know which areas require development. Let the detailed data come, I am sure that other states will also follow it", he said. On some political parties opposing the caste-based headcount, Kumar claimed that the decision to hold the caste-based survey was taken after a unanimous decision taken by the leaders of all political parties, including the BJP, in the state. "

Unnecessarily being troubled: Nitish Kumar on CBI challenging bail to Lalu

"He is being troubled unnecessarily...Those at the Centre have been troubling everyone no one is being spared," Nitish said

'No law and order in Bihar, nobody is spared': Minister on journo's murder

The journalist, identified as Vimal Kumar Yadav, was allegedly shot dead at his home by unidentified assailants in the Raniganj Bazaar area of the district, police said earlier on Friday

Journalist shot dead by unidentified miscreants in Bihar's Araria, probe on

The journalist was shot dead by four men at around 5:30 am in Raniganj market area in Bihar's Araria

Will attain target of providing 2 mn jobs by next year: Nitish Kumar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Tuesday said the Mahagathbandhan government in the state will attain its target of providing 20 lakh jobs to its youths by next year. The government has ensured at least 30 per cent job reservation for women and has always given top priority to educating girls as an all-round development of society cannot be achieved without women, he said addressing the Independence Day function at Gandhi Maidan here. He lambasted the Narendra Modi government at the Centre for not giving special status to Bihar, which, he claimed would have made unimaginable progress had the long-standing demand for it was met. "We are making do with whatever resources we can marshal," he said. Maintaining communal harmony and peace in the state and providing better health facilities are the top priority of the Bihar government, the chief minister said. Last year, we had announced 10 lakh government jobs to the youths of Bihar and an additional 10 lakh employment opportunities in

Bihar caste survey: SC defers hearing for Aug 18 on plea against HC order

The Supreme Court on Monday deferred for August 18 hearing on a plea challenging the Patna High Court's August 1 order giving the go-ahead for a caste survey in Bihar. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti listed the plea filed by NGO 'Ek Soch Ek Paryas' on August 18 along with other pleas filed challenging the same order of the high court. A counsel appearing for the petitioner challenging the high court order said that on the day of the high court order on August 1, the state government had late night issued a notification to complete the caste-based survey within three days. The bench said it will consider everything on August 18 and by that time the judges will also go through the high court verdict. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, also appearing for the petitioners challenging the high court order, said the direction may be issued to the state to not publish the details of the survey till the pendency of pleas before the court. Justice Khanna said that it will amoun

Chirag Paswan parted ways with NDA because of Nitish's arrogance: Rai

Union minister Nityanand Rai on Saturday rejected Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's charge that former Lok Janshakti Party president Chirag Paswan had worked as a BJP agent in the assembly polls nearly three years ago. Rai alleged that Paswan, whom we never wanted to quit the NDA had parted ways because of the arrogance of Kumar, the JD(U)'s supreme leader, whom he also charged with having lost touch with public sentiment. It is false to say that we wanted to weaken Nitish Kumar in the 2020 assembly polls. His party fared much worse than the BJP because he has lost touch with public sentiment. His arrogance had become a big problem and it was the only reason why Chirag Paswan had to break apart, claimed Rai, a former Bihar BJP president. Paswan had fielded LJP candidates, many of them BJP rebels, in all seats contested by the JD(U) which finished with a tally of 43, a steep decline since 2015 when it had won 71 seats. Though BJP chose to stick to its alliance with Kumar, Paswan .

Nitish can return to NDA any time, says Athawale; takes dig at 'INDIA'

Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Sunday said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who snapped ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) last year, can return to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) any time. Talking to PTI, Athawale said Nitish Kumar was part of the NDA earlier and despite the BJP getting more seats in the assembly elections in Bihar last time, he was made the chief minister. The minister also took a dig at the opposition's INDIA alliance, alleging that its sole agenda was to remove Prime Minister Narendra Modi from power. Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) snapped ties with the saffron party and walked out of the NDA in August 2022. He later joined hands with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and formed a new government. He is one of the most significant faces of the opposition parties' alliance - INDIA. "Nitish Kumar can come back to us anytime," the Union Minister of State for Social Justice, whose Republican Party of India (Athawale) is part of the ruling NDA, said.

PM Modi must make statement on Manipur in Parliament: Nitish Kumar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "silence" over Manipur in Parliament and asked him to make a statement in Parliament on the situation in the northeastern state. Kumar, the JD(U) supremo, also said that Opposition parties' demand for a statement from PM Modi is "justified". Demand of Opposition parties is justifiedthe PM must make a statement in Parliament on the current situation in ethnic strife-torn Manipur. There is no sign of an end to the violence. Innocent people are being killedwomen are being brutally tortured," Kumar told reporters here. The assault on women in Manipur is "horrific and shocking", he said. "Women were paraded naked. Such incidents are highly condemnable. The PM must make a statement on Manipur in Parliament", he said. Tension mounted in Manipur after a May 4 video surfaced last week, showing two women from one of the warring communities in the northeastern state being paraded naked by a mob from the

Bihar BJP women cell books Nitish, Tejashwi over lathicharge on workers

A fresh complaint against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his deputy Tejashwi Yadav and state government officials was lodged in a local court here on Saturday in connection with the police lathicharge on BJP workers, especially women, during a protest march in the state capital on July 13. The complaint has been filed by Lajwanti Jha, head of the women cell of state BJP. Earlier, a similar complaint was lodged by BJP worker Krishna Singh Kallu before a court in Patna. Talking to reporters, Jha said, "Police lathicharge on BJP workers, especially women, on June 13 was barbaric and it was done on the directions of the CM, deputy CM and other senior officials of the district administration and police." "One of our workers, Vijay Kumar Singh, died due to the lathicharge. Action must be taken against those who are responsible. I have filed a complaint in this regard before the competent court seeking action against them," Jha, who was accompanied by her lawyer Ratnesh Kumar, said. O