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
Reply over engaging lawyer without AG nod: HC to Bihar edu dept
Advocate general PK Shahi also submitted that “more than the court he also feels embarrassed with the kind of situation created in the department by engaging a special counsel outside the rules of 2023
Updated on Jul 23, 2023 11:30 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Nitish’s surprise visit to minister triggers cabinet expansion buzz
Kumar and Choudhary had talks in a closed room briefly, after which the CM left, leaving everyone guessing. Choudhary also did not throw light on what transpired between them
Updated on Jul 23, 2023 11:28 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
BJP hits out at Nitish Kumar for attempts to cover up cause of leader’s death
The Patna district administration issued a statement late on Thursday saying a medical board concluded that the leader died of “heart disease and other complications related to it”
Updated on Jul 21, 2023 04:32 PM IST
‘My suggestions were accepted’: Nitish Kumar rebuts speculation on Oppn meet
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said the opposition parties were united and had a productive meeting in Bengaluru
Updated on Jul 19, 2023 05:20 PM IST
Day after NDA meet, Paras rules out leaving Hajipur seat for nephew Chirag Paswan
Paras, who heads Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP), underplayed the warmth between the two at the meeting saying they were on a political platform with nothing to do with their family
Updated on Jul 19, 2023 04:39 PM IST
‘Nitish Kumar can’t be upset over small things’: JD-U clarifies on Bengaluru meet
There has been speculation around Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar after he and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Yadav returned to Patna without attending the joint Press conference
Updated on Jul 19, 2023 02:37 PM IST
AMU’s Prof Faizan Mustafa appointed CNLU vice chancellor
Prof Faizan Mustafa was vice chancellor of NALSAR at Hyderabad before returning last year to Aligarh Muslim University’s law faculty
Updated on Jul 18, 2023 06:02 PM IST
CAG audit report tabled in Bihar assembly; flags misappropriation risks
The audit report has also flagged “material accounting entries being still done through the back end of the CFMS without any valid rationale, approval and necessary documentation
Updated on Jul 18, 2023 10:21 AM IST
Chirag Paswan meets Amit Shah ahead of NDA meet, says ‘talks positive’
A senior Bihar Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said there was no doubt about Chirag attending the NDA meet, and the dissension between the two factions of the LJP would not come in the way
Updated on Jul 17, 2023 07:17 PM IST
Bihar BJP urges guv for probe into police action
A 46-year-old BJP leader, Vijay Kumar Singh, had died during the stir, with the Opposition alleging that he was killed in the police lathicharge on the protesters
Updated on Jul 15, 2023 12:16 AM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Patna protests: BJP team meets Governor, seeks CBI probe into police action
The memorandum said the “lathicharge was done at the behest of chief minister Nitish Kumar, who also holds the home portfolio, and deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, which is bad for a healthy democracy”.
Updated on Jul 14, 2023 09:28 PM IST
Bihar dy CM Tejashwi unfazed by case against him, says he has ‘nothing to fear’
Yadav said the BJP acted on expected lines the way it spread rumours in his absence about a rift in the Grand Alliance and split in parties
Updated on Jul 14, 2023 02:22 PM IST
BJP delegation to meet governor amid showdown with Bihar government
A BJP leader said a central team of the party will also visit Patna amid escalating showdown with chief minister Nitish Kumar’s government
Updated on Jul 14, 2023 12:08 PM IST
Teachers’ jobs row: Bihar education department seeks list of agitators for action
Thousands of teachers, appointed by the panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) and urban local bodies (ULBs) and others on contract, had assembled at Gardanibagh ground in Patna and held a peaceful demonstration in support of their demands
Updated on Jul 12, 2023 02:59 PM IST
Day One of Monsoon Session: In unity show, Nitish, Lalu’s sons share ride to House
The five-day monsoon session of the Bihar assembly began on a stormy note on Monday, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House minutes later.
Updated on Jul 10, 2023 09:40 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
As BJP steps up campaign against Tejashwi, Nitish Kumar signals his stand
CBI filed a charge sheet against Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son Tejashwi Yadav in connection with the land-for-jobs scam, which dates back to 2004-09 when Lalu Prasad was railway minister
Updated on Jul 10, 2023 03:08 PM IST
Grand Alliance running well under Nitish Kumar; BJP jittery: Tejashwi Yadav
RJD chief Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi returned to Patna on Sunday evening amid war of words between RJD and JD(U) over the education department imbroglio that has continued for over a week
Updated on Jul 10, 2023 11:33 AM IST
Teachers’ recruitment exam: High court rules in favour of state, BPSC to go ahead with exams
The high court was hearing a bunch of petitions and the order for the same was uploaded on its official site by Friday evenin
Updated on Jul 09, 2023 10:27 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Stormy monsoon session awaits Bihar assembly amid planned teachers’ stir
The education department had earlier ordered action against teachers participating in agitation for violation of code of conduct as laid down in the 2020 rules
Updated on Jul 07, 2023 02:53 PM IST
Amid ‘letter war’ in dept, education minister meets Nitish, Lalu
Senior ministers Bijendra Prasad Yadav and Vijay Kumar Choudhary, who held the education portfolio prior to Chandrashekhar, and ruling JD-U president Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh were also present at the meeting with the CM.
Updated on Jul 06, 2023 10:17 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Bihar education dept bans entry of minister’s aide after he sends them a stinker
Subodh Kumar Choudhary, director (administration) of the education department, also reprimanded the minister’s aide Krishna Nand Yadav, for what was described as a “mindless letter”
Updated on Jul 06, 2023 03:07 PM IST
Bihar education minister lashes out at officials for ‘negative’ press
Though the minister hasn’t named any official, his anger is believed to be directed at Pathak, a senior IAS officer known for his outspokenness.
Updated on Jul 06, 2023 04:31 AM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Refrain from projecting ‘Robinhood image’: Bihar minister to education secretary
In a note circulated to education department officials, the minister’s office lamented that information was being “selectively leaked” to make the official look good and malign the department’s image
Updated on Jul 05, 2023 06:02 PM IST
Lalu says Maharashtra can’t happen in Bihar
Lalu Prasad, leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), said that Bihar will mark the beginning of the end of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's regime. Prasad also criticized Modi for being corrupt and against reservation. He made these remarks at the release of a book on Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. Prasad's comments come amid speculation of a possible alliance between the RJD and JD(U) to counter the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Updated on Jul 03, 2023 10:08 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Bihar could be next after Maha, says Kushwaha; JD (U) dismissive
Chief minister Nitish Kumar had on Friday met all legislators of the Janata Dal-United individually. He will next meet his party MPs individually for the next three days.
Updated on Jul 02, 2023 11:08 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Nitish Kumar meeting JD-U leaders individually, BJP says he is ‘nervous’
, Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha has been fanning the talk of likely merger of the JD-U and the RJD. “JD-U will be history before too late,” he said
Updated on Jul 02, 2023 12:07 PM IST
Teachers’ recruitment: Patna rocked by protests against new rules
Matters came to a head when the state government, earlier this week, decided to withdraw the domicile requirement for fresh recruitment of school teachers and opened the teaching jobs in Bihar to all Indian citizens.
Updated on Jul 01, 2023 09:21 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
JD-U hits back at Shah, says nervous after Oppn unity meet
Shah called Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar as “paltu (one who takes frequent U-turns)” and the June 23 Opposition unity meeting in Patna a gathering of “dynasts soaked in corruption”.
Updated on Jun 29, 2023 09:17 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
CM Nitish Kumar calls on Governor RV Arlekar at Raj Bhavan
The state cabinet on Tuesday removed the domicile status as one of the eligibility criteria by amending the new teacher recruitment rules it had brought earlier this year
Updated on Jun 28, 2023 06:52 PM IST
Shah to arrive in Bihar tomorrow days after opposition parties meeting in Patna
Bihar BJP chief Samrat Choudhary said the visit is part of the party’s outreach programme on the completion of nine years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government
Updated on Jun 28, 2023 04:50 PM IST