Patna: The expansion of Bihar’s Samrat cabinet on Thursday highlighted the state government’s clear preference for experience, with a large majority of ministers aged over 50 and the average cabinet age exceeding 55 years.
Out of the 35 ministers inducted into the cabinet, 28 are above the age of 50, while 10 ministers are aged 60 or older. The cabinet’s average age stands at approximately 55.4 years, based on data available from the November elections.
Although the reshuffle created space for a few new faces, several senior political figures were also left out. The composition of the cabinet nevertheless points to a leadership structure heavily reliant on experienced politicians.
The largest share of ministers falls within the 50 to 59 age bracket, with 18 members belonging to the category. Nine ministers are between 60 and 69 years old, while one minister is above 70.
Shreyasi Singh, aged 34, is the youngest member of the cabinet. Deepak Prakash, 36, is the second-youngest minister to be included.
At the other end of the spectrum, Bijendra Prasad Yadav, aged 79, is the oldest member of the cabinet.
The age distribution of the cabinet is as follows:
- Under 40 years: 2 ministers
- 40 to 49 years: 5 ministers
- 50 to 59 years: 18 ministers
- 60 to 69 years: 9 ministers
- Over 70 years: 1 minister
Overall, 33 of the 35 ministers are above the age of 40, underlining the dominance of senior leaders in the new cabinet formation.
