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
NEET induces overcrowding at top, grace marks arbitrary, allege students
ABVP, an affiliate of the RSS and the BJP, has demanded that the CBI probe the matter amid allegations of paper leaks and mismanagement in NEET UG.
Published on Jun 11, 2024 06:06 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Nitish, Tejashwi take same flight to Delhi for NDA, INDIA meets
Leaders of Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal and Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) insisted it was a mere coincidence that the two were on the same one-and-half-hour-long flight
Published on Jun 05, 2024 12:41 PM IST
For Modi 3.0, ball in kingmakers’ court
Despite being NDA allies, and party leaders insisting that they would stand by the BJP, experts say that Naidu and Kumar hold all the cards
Updated on Jun 05, 2024 06:54 AM IST
The importance of being Nitish Kumar in Indian politics: All eyes on him again
The way the election results have emerged, with the BJP looking set to fall way short of the 272-mark on its own, the INDIA bloc has got as much interested in Nitish Kumar as is the BJP interested in holding on to him
Published on Jun 04, 2024 04:15 PM IST
Education keeps political pot boiling in Bihar even as electioneering stops
Education remained a big issue in Bihar, with the matter of higher education turmoil reaching the Patna High Court and still remaining unresolved.
Published on Jun 01, 2024 07:52 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Ara: RK Singh aims for record hat-trick, CPI-ML upbeat with allies’ support
Illegal sand mining in the dried-up Sone river bed near Ara poses environmental and economic concerns. The upcoming election in Ara features a battle between development promises and social justice issues.
Updated on May 29, 2024 09:27 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
RJD smells blood as BJP bets on new face in Buxar bastion
BJP has dropped its sitting MP, union minister Ashwini Choubey, in favour of ex-MLA Mithlesh Tiwari, who faces off RJD’s Sudhakar Singh.
Published on May 28, 2024 09:24 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Stir by PU teachers amid LS polls worry parties
Patna University Teachers’ Association (PUTA) and the employees union have threatened to launch an indefinite strike from Friday over the department of education’s latest order to pay salary and pension directly into the accounts of the employees, which the teachers’ body describes as violation of the Act governing the university.
Published on May 24, 2024 10:03 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Bihar IPS officer’s suspension revoked after 34 months following CAT order
IPS officer Rakesh Dubey was suspended as the Bhojpur SP on the alleged charges of working with the sand mafia
Updated on May 23, 2024 01:16 PM IST
PM Modi back in Bihar this weekend, will address 3 more election rallies
BJP leaders said PM Modi was scheduled to be back in Bihar to address three more rallies on May 25 that would raise the total count of his Bihar rallies to 15
Updated on May 22, 2024 08:44 PM IST
Arun Kumar
Both Modi, Oppn claim victory after five rounds
PM Modi claims Opposition is "defeated and destroyed" after 5 phases of elections. Accuses Congress leaders of being against reservations. More phases to go.
Updated on May 22, 2024 05:26 AM IST
Modi invokes Bihari pride to attack Congress, RJD
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed rallies at Motihari and Maharajganj in Bihar on Tuesday as part of his Lok Sabha poll campaign.
Published on May 21, 2024 09:09 PM IST
HC to edu dept bosses: Pay up dues to varsities, or forget your salaries
Staying all the orders of the department to stop salary of vice chancellors and registrars or serve show-cause notices to them, the court observed that “till further orders, the respondents are directed not to take any coercive action against the universities and its officials”.
Published on May 18, 2024 09:32 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Sushil Modi: The deputy who helped Nitish steer Bihar on a new road
Former Bihar deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi's death has created a void in Bihar politics. He was a key figure in BJP, known for his political acumen and dedication.
Updated on May 14, 2024 09:54 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Modi slams RJD, Congress over ‘vote bank politics’
Political parties like the Congress and RJD will give away reservations to Muslims “to pursue their vote bank politics”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi charged.
Updated on May 14, 2024 07:29 AM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
PM Narendra Modi holds maiden roadshow in Patna; 3 rallies in Bihar today
The roadshow, a first in Patna by any Prime Minister, began near Bhattacharya Road around 7.20 pm.
Updated on May 13, 2024 05:17 AM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Two debutants, son and daughter of JD-U ministers, in direct fight
In Samastipur Lok Sabha seat, Shambhavi, 25, daughter of Ashok Choudhary, a confidant of CM Nitish Kumar, is the NDA nominee fighting on the symbol of Chirag Paswan’s LJP (RV). She is pitted against Congress’s Sunny Hazari, 33, son of Maheshwar Hazari.
Published on May 08, 2024 09:42 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Samastipur
RJD fields new face to wrest back its old seat of Darbhanga from BJP
Delay in establishing AIIMS at Darbhanga due to politics. BJP blames RJD for past delays. Elections lack enthusiasm, polarisation key. BJP vs RJD contest.
Updated on May 08, 2024 07:22 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Darbhanga
Pathak skips meeting called at HC directive, VCs attend, raise issues
The meeting was held at the HC directive to resolve the issues that have led to a standoff between the Governor, who is the Chancellor of state universities, and the state’s education department.
Published on May 06, 2024 09:42 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Begusarai: Backed by allies, CPI fired up in bid to wrest back old bastion
The Begusarai Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar, earlier comprising parts of erstwhile Balia parliamentary seat, was once a stronghold of the Congress and the Communist Party of India.
Published on May 06, 2024 09:37 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Begusarai
HC puts on hold edu dept’s order to freeze bank accounts of varsities
In continuing standoff with the Raj Bhawan, Bihar’s education department ordered to freeze the accounts of state universities earlier this year
Published on May 03, 2024 09:46 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Nitish, Tejashwi create buzz in otherwise quiet Madhepura
Mahagathbandhan candidate Kumar Chandradeep of the RJD, an English professor, is making his electoral debut against the sitting MP Dinesh Chandra Yadav of the JD-U, who is the NDA nominee.
Published on Apr 30, 2024 09:24 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Madhepura
Interview: I’m bound by party, but my son free to take his decisions
In Samastipur Lok Sabha seat in Bihar, which goes to vote on May 13, children of two JD-U ministers in the state are pitted against each other. One is LJP (R) candidate Shambhavi Choudhary, daughter of Ashok Choudhary. The other is Congress candidate Sunny Hazari, son of Maheshwar Hazari.
Updated on Apr 24, 2024 10:07 PM IST
Nitish makes emotional appeal to voters ahead of 2nd phase
The longest serving Bihar CM writes an “open letter” to “Bihar Parivar” ahead of second phase of Lok Sabha elections.
Updated on Apr 23, 2024 09:44 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Don’t let Bihar’s progress be halted, support NDA: Nitish Kumar’s appeal
Nitish Kumar said Bihar was in a “pitiable condition” when he took over as chief minister in 2005 and that he had worked hard to fix the state’s many problems.
Published on Apr 23, 2024 04:32 PM IST
Arun Kumar
Bihar LS polls: It’s all in the family despite noise against dynastic politics
‘The problem is that no party is ready to break this trend, which denies the party workers their due’
Updated on Apr 22, 2024 09:00 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Patna HC clears the deck for appointment of assistant professors
The high court order is significant as the appointment process that started in 2020 has remained stalled for nearly four years
Published on Apr 20, 2024 09:35 AM IST
HC clears decks for appointment of assistant professors
The appointment process that started in 2020 has remained stalled for nearly four years, as it was challenged through several petitions on the excess of the limit prescribed for reservation and the backlog vacancies having not been determined.
Updated on Apr 19, 2024 09:32 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Lalu to campaign for daughter Rohini Acharya in Saran
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav has so far stayed away from Lok Sabha election campaign due to health reasons
Published on Apr 17, 2024 02:31 PM IST
RJD faces internal rebellion, BJP candidate ‘outsider’ tag
Brother of former RJD MLA in the fray as Independent; BJP’s Vivek Thakur, son of former union minister C P Thakur and a Rajya Sabha MP, is a debutant in electoral politics.
Published on Apr 16, 2024 10:10 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Nawada