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
Denied ticket, Ashwini Choubey says he is hurt, see a plot
The union minister, who won Buxar in 2014 and 2019, has been passed over for Mithilesh Tiwari as BJP candidate from the seat.
Published on Apr 15, 2024 09:42 PM IST
‘It hurts... hint of a conspiracy’: Ashwini Choubey on being denied BJP ticket
In an interview with HT, Union minister Ashwini Choubey says he was kept in the dark by the BJP despite his deep-rooted association with the party
Updated on Apr 15, 2024 01:07 PM IST
Holiday relief for teachers on training as plot thickens over ‘IPRD’ letter
IPRD director Amit Kumar said the note from the education department had not been issued by his department.
Published on Apr 09, 2024 09:32 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
‘I remove corruption, Opposition strives to protect the corrupt’: PM Modi in Bihar
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also claimed that the Congress’s Lok Sabha poll manifesto has an imprint of the Muslim League and said it is nothing more than an appeasement draft
Published on Apr 07, 2024 03:33 PM IST
Modi kicks off eastern push of poll campaign
The PM first travelled to Jamui in Bihar on Thursday afternoon and then to Cooch Behar in northern West Bengal, underscoring his party’s focus on development
Updated on Apr 05, 2024 05:54 AM IST
People seen just the trailer, lot more to be done: PM Modi’s poll pitch in Bihar
PM Modi launches NDA campaign in Bihar, accuses Opposition of shielding corrupt. Promises development, attacks Congress and RJD.
Updated on Apr 04, 2024 03:39 PM IST
Education could snowball into a major poll issue in Bihar
There are thousands of teachers and retired employees of universities and colleges across the state who have not been paid their dues
Published on Apr 03, 2024 05:54 PM IST
A Grand Alliance-era tussle follows CM Nitish to his new NDA government
Raj Bhavan and the state education department are at loggerheads over a meeting of all VCs because of who is chairing it. Meanwhile, varsity work is on hold
Published on Apr 01, 2024 09:33 PM IST
It’s BJP’s organisation skills vs RJD’s deft manoeuvrings in Bihar: Experts
After CM Nitish Kumar’s return to the NDA, the BJP did not feel the need to look beyond him and stuck to the old formula, political analysts believe
Published on Apr 01, 2024 04:36 PM IST
Chirag takes father’s legacy in Hajipur, gives his in Jamui to brother-in-law
A two-time MP from Jamui, Chirag Paswan will contest this year form Hajipur, a seat represented by his father, Ram Vilas Paswan, nine times
Updated on Mar 27, 2024 06:54 PM IST
A silent battle is being waged between Raj Bhavan and education dept in Bihar
Bihar's Education Department and Raj Bhavan clash over meeting protocol for state-run universities, highlighting ongoing power struggle.
Published on Mar 27, 2024 12:08 AM IST
JD(U) announces candidates for 16 seats
General elections in Bihar will be held in all seven phases from 19 April to 1 June to elect 40 members of the 18th Lok Sabha
Updated on Mar 25, 2024 07:02 AM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
JD(U) announces 16 Lok Sabha candidates in Bihar; EBCs, OBCs get most seats
The Janata Dal (United) has given 12 seats to the sitting MPs in Bihar while four seats have been given to new faces
Updated on Mar 24, 2024 03:44 PM IST
Bihar relaxes norms for thousands of +2 college students after protest
College students will have the choice of switching over to secondary schools after BSEB gives them the option in Class 12 or continuing in the same institution.
Updated on Mar 22, 2024 04:16 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
In Bihar, Chirag Paswan has the last laugh
After a stand-off with uncle and Union minister Pashupati Paras, Ram Vilas Paswan’s son has emerged as the clear choice to fight the polls as part of the NDA
Published on Mar 19, 2024 03:23 PM IST
TRE 3.0 Paper Leak: BPSC asked to keep documents, equipment secured for probe
The BPSC has been asked to secure all documents and computers related to TRE-3, which would be required in the course of the probe.
Updated on Mar 19, 2024 12:02 PM IST
Bihar education department sounds alert after detecting 20 lakh ‘ghost students’
The names of around 23.97 lakh students were removed from the registers of Bihar schools in 2023-24 for remaining consistently absent and of them only 3.98 lakh students sought readmission
Published on Mar 13, 2024 01:26 PM IST
Bihar BJP Lok Sabha nominees discussed; final call post central poll panel nod
A BJP leader said the late induction of the Janata Dal-United or JD(U) into the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) could limit the prospects for other allies
Published on Mar 07, 2024 02:40 PM IST
‘Wanton interference’: Raj Bhavan stings Bihar education dept over letter to V-Cs
The Raj Bhavan’s letter was sent hours after the Bihar education department sent a letter to vice chancellors that threatened action for skipping a meeting
Published on Mar 01, 2024 06:24 PM IST
K K Pathak seeks Delhi deputation, nod likely
Pathak, who was only recently praised by chief minister Nitish Kumar as an “honest officer”, has courted numerous controversies in his less than a year of his stint in the education department.
Updated on Feb 29, 2024 10:00 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
In Bihar, V-Cs issued show cause notices for skipping bureaucrat’s meeting
The meeting notice from Bihar’s Raj Bhavan was sent hours after the education department criticised top university officials for skipping a meeting
Published on Feb 29, 2024 06:03 PM IST
Setback for Opposition after 3 Congress, RJD MLAs sit with NDA in Bihar assembly
The three MLAs, two of the Congress and one of the RJD, who shifted to the treasury side have not made a formal announcement about changing their party
Updated on Feb 27, 2024 09:24 PM IST
Arun Kumar
In a first for Bihar, CUSB in UGC’s Category 1 list
For the CUSB, which was set up in 2009 and received the highest ‘A++’ rating from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in June 2023, it is another feather in the cap in a state where state universities are mostly unaccredited and struggling with late sessions and poor performance.
Updated on Feb 23, 2024 09:35 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Bihar dusts off 2007 policy, no more +2 in colleges
Intermediate education will now be imparted only in higher secondary schools from the new session starting April 1, 2024.
Published on Feb 21, 2024 09:36 PM IST
Arun Kumar, Patna
Six candidates unanimously elected to Rajya Sabha from Bihar
Two seats have gone to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) each, while one each went to the Janata Dal (United) (JD-U) and the Congress after scrutiny of applications
Published on Feb 20, 2024 05:35 PM IST
Ex-Bihar minister who flagged corruption in department in 2022 throws a challenge
As Bihar’s agriculture minister, Sudhakar Singh in 2022 described officials in the agriculture department as thieves and flagged poor implementation of plans as a key concern
Updated on Feb 20, 2024 03:12 PM IST
Bihar govt agrees to agitating teachers’ demand for offline competency tests
A delegation of teachers also met deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary for a discussion on their broader issues and said the BJP leader assured them he would speak to the CM
Published on Feb 16, 2024 01:57 PM IST
BJP leader Nand Kishore Yadav elected Speaker of Bihar Assembly
Yadav started his political journey in 1978 when he became the councillor of the Patna Municipal Corporation and deputy mayor of Patna in 1982
Published on Feb 15, 2024 12:17 PM IST
Rabri’s brother Subhash gets a taste of Nitish Kumar's ‘rule of law’
Yadav had started his career as a Group-D employee in the Vidhan Sabha but quit his job after his sister Rabri Devi took over the state’s reins from Lalu Prasad
Updated on Feb 14, 2024 09:40 PM IST
No decision on competency test yet; Bihar deputy CM to meet teachers on Feb 15
Teachers across the state have been holding protests against the riders of termination and transfer attached with the competency test
Published on Feb 14, 2024 11:07 AM IST