Bihar in election mode as state clears 27,370 govt posts; parties join battle

Months away from the crucial Bihar assembly elections, the thrust and parry between the main political players has begun. As in the past, this time too, it revolves around the one subject that worries politicians the most – unemployment.

On April 8, chief minister (CM) Nitish Kumar’s cabinet gave its nod for recruitment to 27,370 posts in various government departments. The health department will recruit the most at over 20,000 posts, it was announced.

“The state health department’s proposal for the constitution of a ‘Public Health Cadre’ and a ‘Hospital Management Cadre’ for filling up 20,016 posts in different categories has been approved,” S Siddharth, additional chief secretary, cabinet secretariat, told reporters.

In February this year, Nitish had handed over recruitment letters to 6,837 newly appointed junior engineers and instructors.

This is no one-off. On Independence-Day 2024, after hoisting the Tricolour at Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan, Nitish Kumar announced that his government has fixed a new target of providing 12-lakh government jobs to youth by next year. The 12-lakh figure is an improvement on 10 lakh jobs promised earlier by the Bihar CM, who is also the state’s longest-serving, holding this post for a record ninth term.

It is much the same with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), since it became the biggest party in Bihar after securing 75 seats and 23.5% votes in the 2020 assembly elections. Like then, Tejaswi Yadav will certainly make employment his party’s principal poll plank. He is banking on the five-lakh job appointments reportedly made during his tenure as Bihar’s deputy chief minister during his 17-month coalition government with the JD (U) in 2015.

Says veteran leader and former MP, Shivanand Tiwary: “There is no doubt that recruitment in government has been taking place in Bihar from time to time. There are vacancies in the education sector, for example, where sanctioned posts are being filled. The question to ask is why Nitish is being so particular about employment now, considering that he is the state’s longest serving CM. “

Nitish Kumar has served as the 22nd chief minister of Bihar since 22 February 2015, having previously held the office from 2005 to 2014 and for a short period in 2000.

While the mass appointments are generally being seen in a positive light, its overall impact on the state’s grim economic scenario is a matter of speculation. According to the latest Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) data, Bihar has an unemployment rate of 11.4 %, which though not amongst the highest in the country, is still a cause for worry.

Experts like Ashmita Gupta of Patna-based think tank, Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI), believe that government jobs are still vacant, and more manpower is needed. However, just how many people are eligible for such government employment is unclear – neither are there any clear cut figures on how many people have been taken on by the government.

Despite the political rhetoric ratchetted by poll bound parties, in the absence of private investment, unemployment will always be a millstone around Bihar’s neck.

In a presentation made to the Bihar government in March 2025, ADRI has suggested the following:

— Incentivizing private investments in high-quality educational infrastructure, such as coaching centers, libraries, and digital learning platforms, which can address gaps in the education system and create employment opportunities.

— Fostering a balanced approach to industrial growth by supporting both manufacturing and service sectors

— Expanding the reach of government schemes like the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) and Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) to smaller towns and rural areas, which can ensure that programme benefits are not limited to metropolitan areas alone.

— Encouraging startups in emerging sectors like healthcare, IT, and Edu-tech can further diversify Bihar’s economy and create employment opportunities.

One good starting point is the Bihar IT Policy, which aims to attract investment, promote startups, and develop IT parks in cities like Patna, Gaya, and Bhagalpur.

But in a state where there is still a massive premium on government jobs, and where elusive caste surveys continue to drive political sentiment, private investment is still a far cry. One thing is clear though: expect unemployment to be a factor in the high-velocity assembly electoral skirmish later this year.