PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has stressed the need to strengthen higher education in the state, suggesting that colleges should consider conducting classes until 8 pm.
Speaking on Thursday at the foundation day ceremony of AN College, affiliated to Pataliputra University, Choudhary noted that campuses often become deserted early in the day. The event also marked the birth anniversary of Anugrah Narayan Singh, Bihar’s first Deputy Chief Minister, after whom the college is named.
Referring to a conversation with the college principal, Ratna Amrit, Choudhary said, “I asked her how long classes continue in the institution. She told me the campus becomes deserted after 2 pm. I see an opportunity here. I say let classes run until 8 o’clock in the evening.”
The Chief Minister insisted the proposal was not mere rhetoric and said the government intended to create the necessary infrastructure to make such a system feasible.
“Our children travel to far-off places such as Punjab and Maharashtra for higher education. We must strengthen our higher education system so that their needs can be met within the state,” he said.
Acknowledging the inadequacy of Bihar’s educational infrastructure for its population of 13 crore, Choudhary claimed noticeable improvements would begin from July onwards.
He announced that the government was in the process of establishing more than 200 colleges, along with open and deemed universities.
“I have instructed officials not to treat the shortage of land as an obstacle to setting up new universities, despite Bihar’s high population density. Files should be brought before the cabinet for speedy approval, and land availability will be ensured,” he added.
Choudhary, who became the first BJP leader to head a government in Bihar in April, also took an indirect swipe at the RJD, which governed the state for several years before losing power in 2005.
Referring to his predecessor Nitish Kumar, who stepped down to move to the Rajya Sabha, he said, “We will build upon the strong foundation laid by Nitish ji. Bihar witnessed a 15-year gap before it returned to the path of progress.”
The Chief Minister also reflected on Bihar’s financial journey, recalling his tenure as finance minister under Nitish Kumar.
“There was a time when Bihar had a mere Rs 6,000 crore budget, and the creation of Jharkhand deprived us of 87 per cent of our revenue. But we have progressed significantly. Today, the state has a budget of Rs 3.17 lakh crore,” he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
