Employment mission started in Bihar: Nitish’s masterstroke – direct focus on youth, skill and higher education

During the recently concluded assembly elections in Bihar, the issues of employment, migration and infrastructure were the biggest political agenda. Who took oath as Chief Minister for the tenth consecutive time Nitish Kumar The new NDA government has now taken rapid steps towards implementing the election promises. The government has announced the formation of three new departments with the aim of increasing employment opportunities for the youth and improving the quality of higher education, through which a target has been set to provide one crore jobs in the coming five years. This is a sign of major changes in the administrative structure of Bihar.

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According to the Indian Express report, the most important of these three newly created departments is the Department of Youth, Employment and Skill Development, which has been given the responsibility of providing one crore jobs and employment in the state within the next five years (2025–2030). The other two departments are – Higher Education Department and Civil Aviation Department. Along with this, the government has also announced the creation of Directorate of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and Bihar Marketing Promotion Corporation. With all these aspects, now the number of departments of Bihar government has increased to 40.

The government has decided its priority

Since the size of the new cabinet is within the regular limit of 15%, Bihar can have a maximum of 36 ministers. Along with 26 ministers taking oath, on November 21, Nitish Kumar took oath as Chief Minister for the tenth time. Now the formation of new departments and directorates has made it clear that the government is giving top priority to employment generation by reorganizing resources.

Higher education department also has a big responsibility

Before the elections, almost all the parties had emphasized on the problem of unemployment, speed of government recruitments and migration. There has been a demand for a long time in Bihar that there should be a separate focus on higher education, because there is shortage of teachers in universities, delay in sessions and the condition of research activities has been very weak. Now the Higher Education Department will handle the responsibility of recruitment of teachers, research, technical and vocational education and developing employment-oriented higher education for the youth.

Nitish government busy in fulfilling election promises

In its election manifesto, the NDA had promised to provide one crore government jobs, create skill centers in every district, develop a world-class education city at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore and strengthen the school infrastructure. The government has now started putting forward these promises publicly as targets.

CM Nitish Kumar posted on He further said that many entrepreneurship and employment opportunities will be provided to the youth through the Department of Youth, Employment and Skill Development.

Unemployment and migration are old problems

Unemployment and migration have been a major socio-economic challenge in Bihar for years. According to PLFS (Periodic Labor Force Survey) data, Bihar’s unemployment rate among those above 15 years of age in the April-June quarter was 5.2%, which is below the national average of 5.4%. But this is because the workforce participation rate (LFPR) in Bihar is only 48.8% – meaning less than half of the working-eligible people are looking for employment. The rate among youth (15–29 years) is even more worrying – only 33.9%, which is the lowest in the country. According to the 2011 census, 30% of the 74.54 lakh migrants from Bihar cited employment as the main reason for migration.

The remaining two departments will do this work

According to the government, the Civil Aviation Department has been formed in view of the construction of many new airports in the state and the proposed air connectivity under the Centre’s UDAN scheme. At the same time, MSME Directorate will establish “Mega Skill Center” in every district, so that along with skill development, industries can get trained manpower. Bihar Marketing Promotion Corporation will strengthen the distribution and market availability of products of agriculture, animal husbandry, horticulture, food processing, handicrafts, rural industries and micro enterprises, which is expected to generate employment on a large scale.

The ruling party has described these decisions as “steps in the future” in the interest of the youth. According to JDU spokesperson Neeraj Kumar – “This is an honor to the huge mandate. The government has already provided more than 28 lakh jobs in 19 years, now the aim is to open employment possibilities in all sectors through new departments.” BJP Vice President Santosh Pathak says, “The aim is to make Bihar a hub of industrial production and development in the next ten years. Pro-public governance is our strength and we are committed to making Bihar a developed state.”

While welcoming these steps of the government, the opposition has also taunted. RJD spokesperson said that the issues of youth, employment and migration were “brought into the mainstream by Tejashwi Yadav in the elections, under whose pressure the government now had to take these steps.”