Bihar: Governance & Flagship Schemes

This chapter covers how Bihar is governed and the big welfare schemes it is famous for. BPSC loves two things here: the structure of the state government (who is the head, how many houses the legislature has) and Bihar's flagship schemes — especially those for women and girls. Learn what each scheme is for, and the questions become easy.

How Bihar is Governed

Like every Indian state, Bihar follows the parliamentary system. The Governor is the constitutional (nominal) head of the state — appointed by the President. The Chief Minister is the real head of the government, leading the council of ministers that actually runs the state.

Bihar has a bicameral (two-house) legislature — one of only a few Indian states to do so. The two houses are the Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) with 243 seats, whose members are directly elected by the people, and the Vidhan Parishad (Legislative Council), the smaller upper house.

The two houses of Bihar's legislature
HouseKey points
Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly)Lower house; 243 seats; members directly elected by voters.
Vidhan Parishad (Legislative Council)Upper house; permanent body; only a few states have one, and Bihar is one of them.
⚠️ Exam trap
Do not confuse the two heads: the Governor is the constitutional head, but the Chief Minister is the real head who runs the government. Also remember Bihar is bicameral — the Assembly has 243 seats.

Bihar's Lead in Women's Empowerment

Bihar is nationally known for putting women at the centre of governance. In 2006 it became the first state in India to give 50% reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions (local self-government). Later, the state extended strong reservation for women in state government jobs. Together these steps are seen as a landmark for women's participation in public life.

🎯 Why it matters
Why this matters for the exam: "first state to give 50% reservation to women in panchayats (2006)" is a factual line BPSC can ask directly. It also connects to the women-focused schemes in the next section.

Flagship Schemes — What Each One is For

Major schemes of the Bihar government
SchemePurpose
JEEViKA (Bihar Rural Livelihoods Project)Organises rural women into Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to promote livelihoods, savings and empowerment.
Mukhyamantri Balika Cycle Yojana (Bicycle scheme)Provides money for bicycles to schoolgirls; widely credited with sharply increasing girls' school attendance and retention.
Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan YojanaFinancial support for the girl child from birth through education, to promote girls' welfare and education.
Har Ghar Nal Ka JalPart of the Saat Nishchay programme; aims to provide piped tap water to every household.
🧠 Memory trick
Link scheme to goal: JEEViKA → women's SHGs, Cycle scheme → girls' education, Kanya Utthan → girl child from birth to education, Har Ghar Nal Ka Jal → tap water.

Saat Nishchay — The Seven Resolves

The "Saat Nishchay" (Seven Resolves) is a well-known governance and development programme of the Bihar government. It is an umbrella of promises covering basic needs and opportunity — including clean tap water, electricity, roads, skills for the youth, and women's empowerment. Har Ghar Nal Ka Jal is one of its most visible parts.

ℹ️ Note
Just remember the theme: "Saat Nishchay" means seven resolves for water, electricity, roads, youth skills and women. You do not need to memorise every point — the phrase "seven resolves" is usually enough.

Saat Nishchay-2 (2020) is the second-generation version of the programme, adding resolves like better connectivity to every hamlet (Har Ghar Bijli se aage), skill/employment schemes for youth, healthcare (including nutrition), and support for the elderly/differently-abled and Aay-Aadhaarit-Yojana (income-linked opportunity schemes). BPSC sometimes distinguishes "Saat Nishchay" (original, 2015) from "Saat Nishchay-2" (2020) by their specific components.

Local Self-Government: Panchayati Raj & Urban Bodies

Bihar implements the 73rd Amendment (rural) and 74th Amendment (urban) through a standard three-tier and two-tier structure respectively, but is distinctive for its pioneering 50% women's reservation (2006) at every rural tier.

Three-tier Panchayati Raj structure in Bihar
TierLevelHead
Gram PanchayatVillage levelMukhiya
Panchayat SamitiBlock levelPramukh
Zila ParishadDistrict levelAdhyaksh (Chairperson)
  • Urban local bodies in Bihar follow the standard three categories by population/status: Nagar Nigam (Municipal Corporation, headed by a Mayor) for the largest cities (e.g. Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga), Nagar Parishad (Municipal Council) for mid-sized towns, and Nagar Panchayat for transitional (rural-to-urban) areas.
  • The State Election Commission (Bihar), a body distinct from the Election Commission of India, conducts elections to Panchayats and urban local bodies.
  • The District Magistrate/Collector (DM) heads the district's general administration (revenue, law-and-order coordination, disaster management), while the Superintendent of Police (SP) heads district police, both reporting up through divisional Commissioners/DIGs/IGs to the state government.
⚠️ Exam trap
Do not mix up local-body heads: Mukhiya (Gram Panchayat), Pramukh (Panchayat Samiti), Adhyaksh (Zila Parishad) for rural tiers; Mayor (Nagar Nigam) for the largest cities. Each level has its own directly-elected head plus an elected body.

Judiciary & Constitutional/Statutory Bodies of Bihar

  • Patna High Court (established 1916) is the apex court for the state of Bihar; its jurisdiction was earlier shared with the princely territory before Independence and it now sits at Patna with the Chief Justice at its head.
  • Bihar State Human Rights Commission (BSHRC) and the Bihar Lokayukta are the state-level bodies for human-rights grievances and anti-corruption/maladministration complaints against public servants, respectively.
  • Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) itself, headquartered in Patna, is the constitutional body (Article 315) that conducts recruitment to state civil services — the very body conducting the exam this app prepares you for.
  • Right to Public Services Act, Bihar (2011) — Bihar was among the first states to guarantee time-bound delivery of specified public services to citizens, with a penalty on defaulting officials; it inspired similar Acts in several other states.
🎯 Why this section matters
BPSC prelims regularly test which body handles which grievance: human rights → BSHRC, corruption/maladministration by officials → Lokayukta, civil service recruitment → BPSC itself, delayed public service → Right to Public Services Act mechanism.

Key takeaways

  • The Governor is the constitutional (nominal) head of Bihar; the Chief Minister is the real head of the government.
  • Bihar has a bicameral legislature: Vidhan Sabha (243 seats) + Vidhan Parishad (only a few states have a Council).
  • Bihar was the first state to give 50% reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions (2006), later extending strong reservation in state jobs.
  • JEEViKA organises rural women into Self-Help Groups (SHGs) for livelihoods, savings and empowerment.
  • The Bicycle scheme (Balika Cycle Yojana) boosts girls' education; Kanya Utthan Yojana supports the girl child from birth through education.
  • Har Ghar Nal Ka Jal aims for piped tap water to every household, under the Saat Nishchay (Seven Resolves) programme.
  • Saat Nishchay = seven resolves covering water, electricity, roads, youth skills and women's empowerment. Saat Nishchay-2 (2020) is its second-generation follow-up.
  • Three-tier Panchayati Raj: Gram Panchayat (Mukhiya) → Panchayat Samiti (Pramukh) → Zila Parishad (Adhyaksh). Urban bodies: Nagar Nigam (Mayor), Nagar Parishad, Nagar Panchayat.
  • Patna High Court (1916) is Bihar's apex court. BSHRC handles human-rights complaints, the Lokayukta handles official corruption/maladministration, and BPSC (Art. 315) conducts state civil-service recruitment.

Practice questions (11)

Attempt each one before opening the answer. Every explanation names the tempting wrong option as well as the right one, because that is where marks are lost.

  1. Who is the constitutional (nominal) head of the state of Bihar?

    1. The Chief Minister
    2. The Governor
    3. The Speaker
    4. The Chief Justice
    Show answer

    Answer: B — The Governor

    The Governor is the constitutional (nominal) head of the state. The Chief Minister is the real head of the government.

  2. How many seats are there in the Bihar Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly)?

    1. 200
    2. 243
    3. 250
    4. 288
    Show answer

    Answer: B — 243

    The Bihar Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) has 243 seats, whose members are directly elected.

  3. The legislature of Bihar is best described as:

    1. Unicameral (one house)
    2. Bicameral (two houses)
    3. Tricameral (three houses)
    4. It has no legislature
    Show answer

    Answer: B — Bicameral (two houses)

    Bihar has a bicameral legislature — the Vidhan Sabha (Assembly) and the Vidhan Parishad (Council). Only a few states have a Council.

  4. Bihar is remembered as the first state in India to give 50% reservation for women in:

    1. The Vidhan Sabha
    2. Panchayati Raj Institutions
    3. The Lok Sabha
    4. The judiciary
    Show answer

    Answer: B — Panchayati Raj Institutions

    In 2006 Bihar became the first state to provide 50% reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions.

  5. JEEViKA (the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Project) is mainly aimed at:

    1. Building highways
    2. Organising rural women into Self-Help Groups
    3. Providing free electricity
    4. Distributing textbooks
    Show answer

    Answer: B — Organising rural women into Self-Help Groups

    JEEViKA organises rural women into Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to promote livelihoods, savings and empowerment.

  6. The Mukhyamantri Balika Cycle Yojana (bicycle scheme) is credited mainly with improving:

    1. Farmers' incomes
    2. Girls' school attendance and retention
    3. Road construction
    4. Electricity supply
    Show answer

    Answer: B — Girls' school attendance and retention

    The bicycle scheme gives money for bicycles to schoolgirls and is widely credited with sharply raising girls' school attendance and retention.

  7. Under which programme does the "Har Ghar Nal Ka Jal" (tap water to every home) initiative fall?

    1. Saat Nishchay (Seven Resolves)
    2. JEEViKA
    3. Kanya Utthan Yojana
    4. Balika Cycle Yojana
    Show answer

    Answer: A — Saat Nishchay (Seven Resolves)

    Har Ghar Nal Ka Jal, aiming to provide piped tap water to every household, is part of the Saat Nishchay (Seven Resolves) programme.

  8. Consider the following statements:
    1. The Chief Minister is the constitutional head of Bihar.
    2. The Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojana provides financial support for the girl child from birth through education.
    Which is/are correct?

    1. Only 1
    2. Only 2
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Show answer

    Answer: B — Only 2

    Statement 1 is wrong — the Governor is the constitutional head, while the Chief Minister is the real head of the government. Statement 2 is correct: Kanya Utthan Yojana supports the girl child from birth through education.

  9. In Bihar's three-tier Panchayati Raj structure, who heads the Gram Panchayat?

    1. Pramukh
    2. Mukhiya
    3. Adhyaksh
    4. Sarpanch
    Show answer

    Answer: B — Mukhiya

    The Gram Panchayat (village level) is headed by the Mukhiya; the Panchayat Samiti (block level) by the Pramukh; and the Zila Parishad (district level) by the Adhyaksh.

  10. Which body handles complaints of corruption or maladministration against public servants in Bihar?

    1. Bihar State Human Rights Commission
    2. Bihar Lokayukta
    3. State Election Commission
    4. Bihar Public Service Commission
    Show answer

    Answer: B — Bihar Lokayukta

    The Bihar Lokayukta handles complaints of corruption and maladministration against public servants; the BSHRC handles human-rights complaints instead.

  11. Bihar's Right to Public Services Act, guaranteeing time-bound delivery of services, was enacted in which year?

    1. 2006
    2. 2011
    3. 2015
    4. 2020
    Show answer

    Answer: B — 2011

    The Bihar Right to Public Services Act was enacted in 2011, among the first such Acts in India, guaranteeing time-bound service delivery with penalties for defaulting officials.