Bihar: Administration, Institutions and Key Schemes
Bihar: Administration, Institutions and Key Schemes
Every BPSC paper reserves space for Bihar, and in a teacher recruitment exam that share is generous. Expect 2 to 3 questions across the General Awareness block on the state's administrative structure, its legislature or its welfare schemes. These are pure recall marks and should never be lost.
Bihar at a Glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Capital | Patna |
| Separated from Bengal | 1912, as the province of Bihar and Orissa |
| Bihar Day | 22 March |
| Jharkhand carved out | 15 November 2000 |
| Divisions (Pramandal) | 9 |
| Districts (Zila) | 38 |
Bihar Day marks the creation of the separate province in 1912. Keep 1912 and 2000 apart: the first is when Bihar was born, the second is when it lost its southern districts to Jharkhand.
The Legislature and Representation
Bihar has a bicameral legislature, one of only a handful of states that do.
| House | Strength |
|---|---|
| Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) | 243 |
| Vidhan Parishad (Legislative Council) | 75 |
| Lok Sabha seats from Bihar | 40 |
| Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar | 16 |
The Council's strength was reduced from 96 to 75 after Jharkhand was created in 2000. That reduction is itself a question.
✗ Bihar has a unicameral legislature | ✓ Bihar is bicameral: Vidhan Sabha and Vidhan Parishad
Key State Schemes
Learn each scheme by purpose and target group, not by rupee figures, which are revised from time to time.
- JEEViKA — the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Project, run through the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society with World Bank support. It organises rural women into self-help groups for livelihood and poverty reduction.
- Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojana — financial support to girls at successive educational milestones, aimed at retention and higher enrolment.
- Mukhyamantri Balika Cycle Yojana — bicycles for school students, credited with improving girls' attendance at the secondary stage.
Institutions a Teacher Candidate Should Know
- BPSC — Bihar Public Service Commission, which conducts this very recruitment.
- BSSC — Bihar Staff Selection Commission.
- SCERT Bihar — State Council of Educational Research and Training, which frames the state curriculum your syllabus is drawn from.
- BSEB — Bihar School Examination Board, which conducts the Matric and Intermediate examinations.
बिहार में 9 प्रमंडल और 38 जिले हैं; विधान सभा 243, विधान परिषद 75।
TRE pointer: The single most repeated trap here is the pair 243 and 75 — candidates swap the Assembly and Council figures under time pressure. A second favourite is offering 1912 and 2000 as alternatives in a question about Bihar Day. Because your syllabus is drawn from SCERT Bihar material, a question naming the body that frames the state curriculum is entirely fair game, and it is one many candidates have never thought about.
60-Second Recap
- Capital Patna; separated from Bengal in 1912; Bihar Day on 22 March.
- Jharkhand carved out on 15 November 2000.
- 9 divisions and 38 districts.
- Bicameral: Vidhan Sabha 243, Vidhan Parishad 75 (reduced from 96 in 2000).
- Lok Sabha 40 and Rajya Sabha 16 seats from Bihar.
- JEEViKA for rural livelihoods, Kanya Utthan for girls' education, Balika Cycle for school attendance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many districts and divisions does Bihar have?
Bihar has 38 districts grouped into 9 administrative divisions, known locally as pramandal. Below the districts the state is further divided into subdivisions and circles. The figures 9 and 38 are asked directly and should be memorised as a pair rather than separately.
Why does Bihar have a Vidhan Parishad?
Bihar is one of the few states with a bicameral legislature, so it has both an Assembly and a Council. The Council has 75 members, reduced from 96 when Jharkhand was created in 2000. Its members are partly elected by MLAs, local bodies, teachers and graduates, and partly nominated.
What is JEEViKA?
JEEViKA is the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Project, implemented by the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society with World Bank assistance. It mobilises rural women into self-help groups and federations to improve livelihoods and reduce poverty, and it is the state's best-known rural development programme.
Which body prepares the school curriculum in Bihar?
SCERT Bihar, the State Council of Educational Research and Training, frames the state curriculum and academic material. This matters directly to you, because the BPSC TRE subject syllabus is drawn from SCERT and NCERT content for classes 6 to 8, even though the difficulty is set at graduate level.