Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar
By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: The Nitish Kumar government’s pledge to create one crore jobs and employment opportunities within five years has begun to take shape. Preparations are under way to establish a network of industries across all districts, even as departments have started identifying vacant posts for recruitment.
Government Jobs Soon
Recruitment will first take place in the education and health departments, where ministers have announced the filling of over 50,000 vacancies. Across the state, nearly five lakh government posts are lying vacant — more than two lakh in education, 65,000 in health and 41,000 in the Home Department.
Relief for Youth from 2026
The Chief Minister has directed all departments to resubmit updated vacancy details. While the exact figure will be confirmed once full reports are compiled, preparations for large-scale recruitment are already under way — with the education and health departments taking the lead. Several other departments are expected to offer government jobs from 2026 onwards.
Three New Departments to Recruit
Political analyst Sunil Pandey noted that the NDA government came to power on the promise of jobs and employment, making the recruitment drive a major challenge. He said significant vacancies exist in education, health, police-related departments, and that recruitment is unavoidable. “The creation of three new departments will also generate substantial employment,” he said.
The government is also planning to reopen 25 sugar mills, which is expected to provide large-scale employment. Efforts are ongoing at the level of the Chief Secretary to establish new industries in every district. “Given the steps being taken, job opportunities for Bihar’s youth are bound to increase,” Pandey added.
Focus Must Be on Employment
Senior journalist Praveen Bagi said the government must focus solely on employment if it intends to honour its promise of one crore jobs. He estimated that departmental vacancies would be around five to six lakh, and added that opening new departments does not necessarily create major job numbers, calling it more of a political signal.
He stressed the need to revive shut industries and attract investment. “Several investor summits were held earlier but yielded little benefit for Bihar. The government must attempt to restart major units and bring in new investment,” he said.
How More Jobs Can Be Created
Bagi added that Bihar needs large-scale investment despite recent progress. “The government should consider how to revive closed industries like Dalmianagar. Efforts have begun regarding sugar mills, and that must continue if the youth are to get employment in large numbers,” he said.
New Sugar Mills Could Be Game-Changer
Industrialist and former BIA president KPS Kesari said the plan to open 25 sugar mills could generate one lakh jobs. “Besides sugar, mills now produce ethanol and energy, adding to their economic value,” he said. Kesari added that industrial expansion in every district is a positive step and could significantly improve employment prospects this time.
Budget Constraints a Major Barrier
Former director of the A N Sinha Institute, D M Diwakar, expressed scepticism about the government’s ability to provide jobs in such large numbers. While there are substantial vacancies, he said budgetary limitations could hinder recruitment. He pointed out that the government has already counted the ₹10,000 support given to 1.56 crore ‘Jeevika Didis’ as part of employment generation. “If such categories are included, the promise may be fulfilled statistically,” he said.
What Minister Shravan Kumar Says
Senior Bihar minister Shravan Kumar stated that the previous commitment of 10 lakh jobs and 10 lakh employment opportunities made in 2020 had been exceeded. “We provided over 10 lakh jobs and nearly 40 lakh employment opportunities — totalling 50 lakh,” he said.
He added that the new target of one crore opportunities in five years would also be achieved. “The Chief Minister has issued instructions, and the new year will bring a surge in job opportunities, both in government and in the private sector.”
Vacancies Being Scrutinised in 45 Departments
In 2024, the state government sought vacancy details from all 45 departments, which reported close to five lakh empty posts. Although several recruitments took place in education, health and other departments over the past year, many posts remain unfilled.
Recruitment Under Way Across Departments
Some departments are currently conducting recruitment drives. During the 2025 Assembly election, it was stated that around 5.5 lakh government posts were vacant. The government has now asked all departments to submit updated vacancy lists again.
Departments are expected to submit their vacancy figures by the end of December, after which the government will release a recruitment calendar from January. Various commissions have been instructed to prepare for the process. The final tally of vacancies across all 45 departments will become clear once all reports are received.
About the Author
