Arun Kumar is Senior Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times. He has spent two-and-half decades covering Bihar, including politics, educational and social issues.
Articles by Arun Kumar
Kovind, Assam CM to attend ‘democracy fest’ at Nalanda University
‘Vaishali Festival of Democracy’ will be held at the Nalanda University on Friday (September 15), which is also the International Day of Democracy.
Updated on Sep 14, 2023 09:39 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
ICCR to organise ‘Vaishali Festival of Democracy’ at Bihar’s Nalanda University
Nalanda University acting vice-chancellor (VC) Abhay Singh said that the ICCR chose the university as the venue due to its great significance for Bihar, the democratic ethos of the country, and the presence of an international audience
Published on Sep 14, 2023 12:44 PM IST
Nalanda backdrop at G-20: JD-U attacks centre for hiding its revival under Nitish, drift under BJP
“When PM Modi was showing the ruins, he should have simultaneously also showed the new campus of the revived Nalanda University, which has been developed at the behest of Nitish Kumar, and spoken about the revival. This should have made it more meaningful,” JD-U spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said.
Published on Sep 12, 2023 09:13 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Teachers’ recruitment: After Nitish’s nudge to end public spat, chiefs of BPSC, edu dept meet for a chat
The two top officials held talks to work out the modalities for publication of results of the teachers’ recruitment test held last month for recruitment of 1.70 lakh teachers in the primary, secondary and senior secondary schools in the state.
Published on Sep 12, 2023 09:09 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Bihar CM meets top officials involved in ugly public spat, asks them to work together
This is the first time top bureaucrats in the Bihar government have been publicly involved in a letter war during the Nitish Kumar regime
Published on Sep 12, 2023 01:49 PM IST
Child marriage in Bihar: Expert backs Nitish line, says education works wonders
The UNFPA official presented data to show that the prevalence of child marriage was around 57% among out-of-school girls, while it dropped to 12% overall among girls having completed at least matriculation.
Updated on Sep 11, 2023 09:47 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Wheeler Senate hall in Patna University to be renamed after Jayaprakash Narayan
It was at the venue in 1973 where the representatives of the students’ union under JP adopted a resolution for launching a statewide agitation against the misrule of the then government, which later paved the way for changing the political scenario of the entire nation
Published on Sep 10, 2023 02:49 PM IST
Bihar: Edu dept locks horns with BPSC
The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) and the education department are engaged in a public letter war over the commission's autonomy and procedures.
Updated on Sep 09, 2023 09:28 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
‘Unacceptable, unwarranted’: Bihar recruitment body ticks off education dept
BPSC also hit back at the education department for questioning the move to assign its department officials and teachers for the verification exercise,
Published on Sep 08, 2023 09:05 PM IST
Stop deploying teachers for recruitment process: Bihar chief secy to districts
BPSC responded to the missive from the state’s top bureaucrat and issued instructions to pause the verification of documents of candidates.
Updated on Sep 07, 2023 06:55 PM IST
‘How dare he’: Governor’s public rebuke for top Bihar official at Patna event
Bihar governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar referred to letters sent by the education department to Raj Bhavan over the past few months
Updated on Sep 05, 2023 05:26 PM IST
Nitish Kumar scraps order on curtailing school holidays that angered teachers
Chief minister Nitish Kumar’s instructions to rescind the August 29 order comes just days after he backed the decision by the education department officials
Updated on Sep 04, 2023 10:23 PM IST
Bihar withdraws school holiday cut order
Earlier in the day, teachers’ associations in the state had announced to stage a protest on Teacher’s Day on September 5 against the decision to curtail school holidays and over other demands.
Updated on Sep 04, 2023 10:21 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Nitish backs holiday cut in schools
Kumar’s reaction is significant as there has been demand from teachers’ bodies and BJP leaders for recall of the holiday order and removal of additional chief secretary K K Pathak as from the education department.
Updated on Sep 02, 2023 08:46 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Bihar: Raj Bhawan, education dept continue to trade fire
he ongoing battle over the control of state universities shows no signs of a let-up despite chief minister Nitish Kumar’s meeting with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar earlier this week.
Updated on Sep 01, 2023 09:13 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Chancellor has supreme authority in universities affairs, says Raj Bhawan
In a bid to clearly define the authority of the Chancellor in matters of higher education, the then Governor Devanand Konwar had in 2009 issued an order to all VCs of the state universities, outlining the jurisdiction of the Raj Bhawan in the academic as well as administrative matters
Updated on Sep 01, 2023 02:39 PM IST
BJP targets Bihar govt for cutting down school holidays on festivals
The Bihar education department on Tuesday ordered schools to cut down holidays on festivals to make up for the loss of teaching days due to a host of factors around the year
Updated on Aug 30, 2023 03:44 PM IST
Holding caste-based ‘counting’, not census in Bihar: CM Nitish
The survey to compile socioeconomic data of each family in Bihar was held in two phases; first round between January 7 & 21, second between April 15 & May 15.
Updated on Aug 30, 2023 12:28 AM IST
Day after Centre’s affidavit in Supreme Court, Nitish Kumar’s biting comeback
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar also reminded the central government that it was yet to conduct the decadal headcount, the Census 2021
Updated on Aug 29, 2023 03:19 PM IST
Can’t direct state govt to implement Central scheme: Patna HC
It was alleged in the PIL that without fully implementing the guidelines issued by the central government, the state of Bihar has arbitrarily limited the maximum amount of post-matric scholarship, including tuition fees and other non-refundable fees payable to eligible beneficiaries under the scheme, and in many instances, not implemented.
Updated on Aug 28, 2023 09:03 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Can’t direct Bihar government to implement central scheme: Patna high court
The petition before the Patna high court alleged that the Bihar government arbitrarily restricted the maximum amount to be disbursed under the post-matric scholarship scheme
Updated on Aug 28, 2023 02:59 PM IST
Bihar govt releases grant for 2-month backlog salary in varsities, clears budget for 2023-24
Delayed salary payment is a chronic problem in the state’s universities/colleges and schools and a mechanism to ensure monthly disbursal of salary is yet to be made.
Updated on Aug 26, 2023 09:45 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Bihar govt releases grant for two-month backlog salary in varsities, institutes
Pataliputra University has got the maximum allocation of Rs.38.64 crore for two months, followed by Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University (Muzaffarpur)– Rs.31.17 crore
Updated on Aug 26, 2023 11:43 AM IST
Standoff ends: Edu Dept withdraws its ads for VCs’ appointment after CM-Guv talks
The Bihar Department of Education has withdrawn advertisements for the appointment of vice chancellors of state universities, following a standoff with the Chancellor's office. The move comes after Bihar's Department of Education issued separate advertisements for the positions, causing confusion over the application process. The process for appointing VCs will now involve screening applications and interaction with the search committee. The incumbent VCs in several universities will complete their terms in September, and the last date for submitting applications is 27 August. This process was initiated to comply with a 2013 Supreme Court directive.
Updated on Aug 25, 2023 10:12 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
No reason to stall it, analysing data post-caste survey completion: Nitish Kumar
Chief minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal has hit out at the BJP over the Union government’s intervention in the hearing of pleas against the Patna high court’s go-ahead for the survey
Updated on Aug 25, 2023 01:52 PM IST
Raj Bhawan makes 75% attendance mandatory for university students
In Bihar, which has been very slow on higher education reforms and implementation of semester system, poor attendance in colleges and universities and erratic classes have been a chronic problem.
Updated on Aug 24, 2023 10:27 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Appointment of VCs: Nitish calls on Governor to defuse row
Raj Bhawan and the state’s department of education have issued separate advertisements seeking applications for the post of vice chancellors for state universities.
Updated on Aug 23, 2023 09:21 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
In showdown with Raj Bhawan, Nitish govt issues own ads for VCs
The department’s advertisement has come at a time when several candidates have already applied in response to the Raj Bhawan advertisement and the process of screening is set to start to fill the position of VCs in six universities, which will fall vacant next month.
Updated on Aug 22, 2023 09:45 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Bihar caste survey case: JD(U) hits out at BJP over Union govt’s intervention
The Supreme Court on Monday gave the Union government a week to file its response in the matter after solicitor-general Tushar Mehta said the survey has some “ramifications”
Updated on Aug 22, 2023 02:55 PM IST
Transgenders can ask govt not to reckon them as a caste: HC
The Patna High Court has stated that transgender individuals can make representations to the state government to not be considered as a caste. The court believes that a separate identification of the community will lead to welfare measures for them.
Updated on Aug 21, 2023 09:36 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna