Bihar is embarking on a transformative journey in education with a substantial investment of Rs800 crore aimed at establishing model schools and new degree colleges. This initiative is focused on elevating educational quality and accessibility, with 31 selected colleges poised to become hubs of excellence.

Patna: Education minister Sunil Kumar told the legislative council on Friday that special emphasis would be laid in the 2026-27 fiscal to expand access to education and improve its quality in schools and colleges across the state.He said Rs800 crore has been allocated for opening model schools in all 534 blocks of the state. In addition, degree colleges will be established in each of the 213 blocks that currently do not have one, while 31 existing colleges have been selected for conversion into centres of excellence.The minister said the initiatives are part of the govt’s Saat Nishchay-3, which also envisages the establishment of an education city. A detailed plan for the project is currently being prepared.Kumar was replying to the House debate on the education department’s budget of Rs60,204.60 crore and Rs8,012.34 crore allocated for higher education for the 2026-27 fiscal. He said the combined allocation constitutes 20% of the total state budget of Rs3.47 lakh crore for the fiscal year.Highlighting transparency in recruitment, he said 2.60 lakh schoolteachers, including principals and headmasters, have been appointed so far. The process has also begun to recruit an additional 45,198 teachers through the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) under the Teachers’ Recruitment Examination (TRE)-4. In line with the govt’s women’s empowerment policy, women account for 44% of the total schoolteachers.On student welfare, the minister said the scholarship amount for students from Classes I to XII has been doubled. In the 2024-25 fiscal, Rs 846 crore was transferred to beneficiaries through DBT. Around 1.03 crore schoolchildren are receiving nutritious meals under the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) scheme, with quality being assessed through third-party evaluation.To promote higher education, Rs13,765.96 crore has been earmarked under the Student Credit Card scheme to provide loans to eligible students pursuing higher studies, he added.