Patna: Bihar’s Education Minister, Sunil Kumar, made a series of significant announcements in the state Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, offering relief to aspiring candidates and addressing long-standing concerns in the school system.
Answering a question from Gorekothi MLA Devesh Kant Singh, Kumar confirmed that the Education Department will fill 45,000 vacancies for attendants, marking one of the largest recruitment drives in the state’s recent history.
The minister also addressed disparities in house rent allowance (HRA) across different categories of teachers, including Niyojit, Special, and BPSC teachers within the same schools. He said that 90% of the corrections have been completed, and the process for uniform HRA payment would be finalised shortly.
On the issue of midday meals, raised by Saharsa MLA IP Gupta, Kumar acknowledged complaints that food served in schools was not consistently hot or of good quality. He said that despite the presence of school cooks, meals are currently supplied from cluster kitchens. To improve standards, an NGO has been tasked with conducting third-party evaluations, and the honorarium for cooks has been doubled. The minister noted that the shortage of cooks makes NGO involvement necessary, but assured that the interests of cooks are being fully safeguarded.
The announcements have been welcomed by teachers and school staff, as well as job aspirants awaiting opportunities in Bihar’s education sector.
