Patna: Around 55,000 students in Bihar have gone missing after taking education loans, prompting the state government to initiate legal action. A recent review by the Bihar State Education Finance Corporation revealed that out of 60,722 students who had defaulted on repayment, only 5,737 responded by either submitting affidavits or paying instalments.
In Patna district alone, orders were issued to file lawsuits against 4,374 candidates, with suits filed against 1,733 of them. The remaining 2,641 have neither been sent notices nor faced auction proceedings. In Samastipur, suits were filed against 1,358 out of 2,498 candidates, while 336 students either submitted affidavits or paid instalments. In Muzaffarpur, suits were filed against 760 of 1,928 students, and notices were sent to 680.
Gaya district showed relatively better compliance, with 429 candidates paying instalments or submitting affidavits out of 2,494. Darbhanga recorded 524 students making payments or giving affidavits from a total of 1,459 candidates.
The Chief Executive Officer of the corporation has directed officials to expedite legal proceedings to recover outstanding loans from defaulters, many of whom have not been traceable for months. The review covered data up to July 18.
This development has raised concerns about accountability and monitoring mechanisms within the state’s flagship Student Credit Card scheme, which was introduced to enhance access to higher education.
