Bihar Govt invites NDDB to accelerate dairy development

With a view to giving a fillip to dairy development in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has held wide ranging discussions with Chairman of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) Dr Amrita Patel at Patna recently.

Chairing a high-level meeting, where Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi and Managing Director of NDDB D Tikku were also present, Mr Kumar said he would like the NDDB to play a proactive role in strengthening dairy cooperative and making them a more meaningful and sustainable occupation for millions of milk producers in the state, a NDDB release said here today.

During the meeting, Mr Kumar commended the substantial financial, technical and managerial assistance provided by the NDDB in earlier years.

Responding to the Chief Minister’ request, Dr Patel said the NDDB would willingly provide assistance, including technical and managerial support, to existing dairy cooperatives in Bihar so as to enable them to better serve their members and by promoting a plurality of new producer institutions that remain true to cooperative values.

It was agreed that the NDDB would assist Bihar in preparing a road map for investing close to Rs 700 crore to enhance milch animal productivity and increase cooperative milk procurement, processing and marketing from a current level of 6 lakh kilogram to 40 lakh kilogram per day by 2021-22.

It was also agreed that the NDDB would assist the Bihar State Cooperative Milk Producers Federation (COMFED) and milk unions in Bihar to improve efficiency in operation so as to be able to cope up with competition from private players.

At the request of the Chief Minister, the NDDB also agreed to recommend changes in the state Cooperative Acts so as to enable cooperatives to enjoy the required business autonomy and have level-playing field with competitive private firms, the release added.

Vodafone Readying Launch In Bihar

Vodafone (News - Alert) Essar, the reconstituted company of Hutch-Essar which is jointly run by telecom multinational Vodafone and Essar group has initiated the groundwork to start greenfield cellular networks in six new regions — Orissa, Bihar, Assam, North East, Himachal Pradesh and J&K. Vodafone Essar’s wholly-owned subsidiary Vodafone Essar Spacetel (formerly, Essar Spacetel) is holding the license for the same.

Cellular service in the Eastern states of India is currently enjoying strong growth with four major GSM service providers operating in those areas — Bharti Airtel, BSNL-CellOne, Reliance Telecom and Dishnet Wireless. Vodafone Essar is hoping to join in the fray.

Krishna Angara Vodafone Essar's director (eastern operations) is planning and coordinating immensely to plug the pre-launch activities in Orissa, Bihar and Assam and is also supervising the Kolkata and West Bengal operations.

"Dedicated Vodafone Essar teams are engaged in a mix of market studies and detailed cellular network planning in Orissa, Bihar and Assam circles. The mission is to subtly build greater awareness about the Vodafone brand in these new circles. Following the recent conclusion of Vodafone's Hutch Essar acquisition, the Vodafone brand is slated to be unfurled nationally later this year," according to the information provided by the sources.

Vodafone Essar Spacetel is anxious about the allotment of GSM spectrum from the DoT for the six new circles since based on the allocation, the company can arrive at the level of investment in its greenfield cellular network rollouts. The company has applied for 4.4 MHz of radio spectrum in all six circles. The company is also anxiously waiting for the licence to operate in Madhya Pradesh circle.

Dalit trust to run Bihar temple

300-year-old Khaki Baba Ram Janki Thakurbari at Hilsa will now be managed by an all-Dalit trust.

Bihar State Board of Religious Trusts administrator Kishore Kunal said it would be the country’s first all-Dalit trust for a temple. Kunal, who has launched a campaign to appoint Dalit priests in important temples with the consent of the worshippers and Hindu society, said the suggestion for an all-Dalit trust, coming from the mandir mahant and the locals, was proof that people have started rejecting untouchability.

The trust has been constituted with a local school teacher belonging to Paswan caste as head and has members from castes like Ravidas, Chamar and Rajak among others.

Kunal, who is busy giving final touches to the second volume of his 1500-page work 'Dalit Devo Bhava', said Dalit priests are already leading prayers in around six temples.

He blamed dharma gurus for keeping "Shudras" away from temples for years while the scriptures preached otherwise.

RTI Act: State urged to follow Bihar example

: Karnataka would do well to follow the Bihar example and make it possible for citizens to file Right to Information (RTI) applications over the telephone, said Aravind Kejriwal, Magsaysay Award-winner and founder of the Delhi-based NGO Parivartan.

Delivering the keynote address at a public awareness programme on the RTI conducted by the Karnataka State Chartered Accountants Association, Bangalore University and Doordarshan, the well-known activist said the next step forward for the effective implementation of the RTI Act was simplifying the process of application.

Bihar had evolved a system of accepting applications over the phone. Karnataka, being the hub of information technology, could do it easily, he said. It could be done in 10 days and would cost as little as Rs. 1.5 lakh a month, he said.

Penalty clause

Mr. Kejriwal also emphasised the need to strengthen the functioning of the Information Commission and ensure that it was strict on bureaucrats who refuse to follow the RTI guidelines. The crucial clause of the Act, he pointed out, was the one which said that a penalty would be deducted from the salary of erring officers.

Even honest officers tended to evade the responsibility because they are “culturally not oriented to give information to the public”, Mr. Kejriwal said.

Citing several examples to illustrate how the RTI had helped a range of people, from a daily wage earner to a software engineer, he called it a radical piece of legislation that ensured that an ordinary citizen no longer felt “helpless” before the system. “It is an opportunity to make a difference in governance,” said Mr. Kejriwal, and urged people to file applications on ongoing schemes in their localities to ensure that the government machinery was accountable and responsible. He also emphasised the role of the Lokayukta in ensuring that action was taken on the information obtained.

Recalling the genesis of the legislation, he said it had its roots in the struggle launched by a labourers association with the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sanghatan started by Aruna Roy in Rajasthan. The labourers had demanded that they be shown the muster rolls because they were getting Rs. 12 instead of the Rs. 24 they were promised. The struggle was carried forward by pioneers such as Anna Hazare in Maharashtra. “The right to information is fundamental to the very existence of democracy,” said Mr. Kejriwal.

Bihar to set up Maha Dalit panel

The Bihar government has decided to constitute a Maha Dalit Commission for the welfare of certain Dalit castes who are socially and educationally backward and treated as untouchables even by Dalits.

CM Nitish Kumar announced the constitution of the commission during his Independence Day speech at Gandhi Maidan. The suggestion for such a commission had been made by the Akhil Bhartiya Musahar-Bhuiyan Sangh at a conference here a few months back. Nitish had agreed, in principle, to constitute such a commission. He said, still there were many sub-castes among Dalits like Musahar, Mehtar, Dom, Rajwar and others who do not benefit from the reservation system and other schemes.

He said among Dalits, there was no such classification as a backward class, adding that the commission will study the status of the neglected castes and suggest ways for their uplift.

It has been noticed that some of Dalit castes could not get any benefit from reservation due to lack of education. In educational institutions, too, the children of these castes are discriminated against and majority of them drop out. As a result, the literacy level among those castes is abysmally low. In the bonded labour system, the men and women mostly belonging to these castes are found to be trapped.

The CM said the government would implement the recommendations of the panel for a better social order which would also arouse social and educational consciousness among them.

Mountains man loses battle with cancer

Dashrath Manjhi died with an unfulfilled dream on Friday evening at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. In his last interview exactly a week ago, Manjhi had said, “When I became Chief Minister of Bihar for one day on July 24, 2006, Nitish Kumar asked me what my wishes were. I asked for my road to be made pukka. I also wished a hospital to be built beside this road, along the Gehlor Ghat, for my people. Both are almost ready. I will inaugurate it as soon as I am out of hospital.”

However, septicemia or blood poisoning, cut short Manjhi's dream at 4.30pm on Friday. Manjhi's slight frame belied the steely grit inside. Clad in a dhoti that was far from being spotlessly white, and hair tied over his head in a bun, Manjhi's occasional efforts to speak last Friday was punctuated by the murmur of his groans.

Having achieved extraordinary feats all his life, including the Herculean task of single-handedly carving out a 360-feet-long, 25-feet-high and 30-feet-wide road by cutting a mountain for 22 years, Majhi was battling his greatest foe till date - the incurable cancer of the biliary tract.

The sadhu baba, as he was lovingly anointed by Bihar's poorest, was by no means the conventional super hero. He did not share fictional Spanish noble man Zorro's love for the cape or Gotham's crusader Batman's antics. But what was common between this real life hero and the reel life upholders of justice, was his undying spirit to fight for his people - the Musahars.

On being asked why Majhi built the road, Rajinder Paswan, Majhi's chela, said, “In 1967, his wife Phaguni Devi was crossing the mountain carrying his lunch, when she she slipped and hurt herself. Agonised, Majhi decided overnight to create a metal road through the hill. Armed with a hammer and chisel, he didn't stop for 22 years. Today the road is used by 1,000 people everyday, as it has reduced the distance between Atri and Vazirganj from 50 km to 8 km.”

Shekhar Suman Seeks Donations for Building Hospital

Shekhar Suman is touring the United States to collect donations for constructing a children's hospital in his hometown Patna

Shekhar Suman has been to the US many times before, but this time he's a man on a mission. The TV actor is collecting donations from NRIs so that he can fulfil a long-cherished dream of his: to construct a full-fledged hospital.

The hospital, to be built in Patna, will primarily treat children, especially those with heart diseases. Says an excited Shekhar, "It has been my dream to build a hospital for kids in my hometown. It is a big step for me and I have worked on it for very long. I know it is difficult, but I am sure I will make it happen in the next few years."

Shekhar lost his first son, nine-year-old Aayush to a chronic heart ailment in 1994. The incident has haunted the actor ever since. This is the reason why he wants to build a children's hospital. "I owe a lot to Bihar, which has made me whatever I am today. I have lost my kid, but I don't want any of Bihar's kids to die due to heart problems. There is no children's hospital in Bihar which specialises in heart diseases," he adds.

The hospital will be a charitable one, where poor kids can avail the services. The hospital will accommodate 200 beds. Shekhar has already spoken to the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for help. "Our CM was more than delighted and the response has been really encouraging. I have also spoken to a lot of medical organisations in different parts of the country and they have promised to help me. Different NGOs have also shown their interest," Shekhar says. oject requires Shekhar to pump in a lot of money. The actor, who is touring the US has got huge encouragement from the NRIs. "Indians in the US have also promised me help. I have been able to connect with them to make appeals for donations. I am just too excited to see my dream come true," he adds.

India's Flood of Corruption- A perspective on Bihar

Over the past several weeks, the Ganges and other rivers which form the Indo-Gangetic basin -- beginning in Nepal, flowing south through India and emptying through Bangladesh into the Indian Ocean -- have flooded. In the northern Indian state of Bihar, at least 3,600 villages have been inundated, and hundreds have died. Millions of people have lost their homes, agricultural lands are inundated and disease is running rampant.

True to form, politicians in Bihar and abroad have blamed the tragedy on a series of bogeymen. Indian officials say that Nepal is to blame; Nepalese officials blame India. Others, such as John Holmes, the United Nations Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, have invoked "global warming" as the cause. Such pronouncements only serve to excuse state authorities from any moral blame for a problem they have clearly caused.

Bihar is naturally inclined to suffer flooding. The state is very flat, with several major rivers flowing down from the steep Himalayan Mountains to the north, making Bihar and the surrounding region especially vulnerable. That's partly why Bihar has suffered such disasters on a regular basis -- as recently as 2004, 2003 and 2000, and in previous decades, too.

But the real blame lies not with mother nature, but with government. Bihar's flood control policies are governed by state bureaucracies rather than local communities. Given the state's general lawlessness, this has meant that cronyism and corruption have prevailed. For instance, in 2005, 11 government and bank officials -- including Gautam Goswami, the former district magistrate of Patna -- and a private contractor, were charged with embezzling about $2.5 million of state funds designated for flood relief efforts.

Those problems have been compounded by decades of federal and state policies which built thousands of kilometers of embankments along rivers, including those in Bihar. Although these structures do work in other situations, they are inappropriate for Bihar's geography and weather conditions. The embankments have raised river levels by preventing the spreading of silt over a larger area, and massively increased the amount of flood-prone areas.

Bihar's poverty and corruption don't help, either. Bihar is the poorest state in India, with an annual per capita income of only $150. It's well known that the average citizen must pay bribes simply to receive government services such as policing. The state ranked an unimpressive "worst" of all Indian states in Transparency International's 2005 India Corruption Study. Its population of 90 million people is predominately rural and agrarian; only 10% live in urban areas. The state's infrastructure -- roads, bridges, electricity, water and sanitation, communications networks, schools and medical facilities -- leaves much to be desired.

The rural poor live in shoddy dwellings comprised of mud, sticks and thatch, rather than in stable, robust structures able to withstand flood waters. They remain illiterate, dependent on manual labor and the land, and vulnerable to the vagaries of nature. Insurance is non-existent because the vast majority of the poor don't own the property upon which they build their homes.

This summer's floods serve as yet another symbol of Bihar's well-earned reputation for corruption and political apathy. Bihar's policy makers owe it to their populace to empower local communities with respect to flood control and economic development more generally. Anything less means that the next flood will wreak similar damage.

'Big Boss' Ravi Kishen to anchor new Bhojpuri channel

Bhojpuri superstar and Big Boss celebrity Ravi Kishen will get Rs 1 crore for a three-year contract with Sri Adhikari Brothers which is launching a dedicated Bhojpuri entertainment channel — ‘Hum Bhojpuriya’. Mr Kishen will be the channel’s brand ambassador.

The contract entails performing varieties of reality and talent shows for the channel during this period, apart from being the face of the channel and promoting it.

Markand Adhikari, VC & MD of SAB said, “Ravi Kishen is one of the star icons in the Bhojpuri film industry and his association with our channel is sure to connect with the Bhojpuri audience. His popularity among the national and international Bhojpuri community will help attract overseas viewers.”

After the southern regional languages, Bhojpuri is emerging as a huge entertainment market in the country. In fact, the Bhojpuri market is currently a high growth regional market, and SAB wants to cash in on the success of the Bhojpuri cinema. The Bhojpuri movie market notched up extraordinary growth in 2006 — a 100% increase in growth over 2005, with 76 films produced. They also account for 7% of the total number of films produced, only marginally behind Malayalam and Kannada films, according to the Central Board of Film Certification.

The demand for Bhojpuri content is not restricted to eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, but is high in Mumbai, with its large number of migrants from these areas. The films are also doing well in Jammu and Kashmir, Jallandhar, Ludhiana, Panipat, Kurukshetra, Noida and Gurgaon, which have a sizeable population of migrant labour from Bihar. There is an estimated 40 lakh Bhojpuri-speaking population in Mumbai, 18 lakh in Punjab and about 8 lakh in Delhi. Bengal and Nepal are emerging as the next big markets.

Interestingly, it is also spoken in around 37 countries and is Mauritius’ second national language. This small island in the Indian Ocean also has a regular TV news bulletin in Bhojpuri.

Ravi Kishan, who shot to fame after winning the title of ‘Big Boss’, will also anchor the soon-to-be-launched talent hunt show ‘Bathroom Singer’.

Yet another first in Bihar - Now FIRs can be lodged through

Lodging FIRs (first information report) at police stations in Bihar is not a child’s play for the victims of crime. In fact, it’s a trial by fire: The victims have to face a volley of uncomfortable questions, make umpteenth rounds of the police station and, in many cases, they end up being made ‘accused’ themselves.

But in the next few months, all that will change. For, in the not too distant a future, it will be possible for the victim of a crime to send an e-mail to the higher police authorities, giving details of the crime committed against him/her. This would be treated as an FIR and follow-up action initiated forthwith. Lodging FIRs through e-mail will become a reality, once the government accepts the Administrative Reforms Commission’s (ARC) recommendations for police reforms. The ARC will submit its report by October-end.

ARC Chairman VS Dubey said the Commission would suggest ‘foolproof’ measures to ensure that commoners did not face difficulty in lodging FIRs and the cops were held to account if they refused to accept complaints.

The ARC is sparing no efforts to curtail the sweeping powers of the police so that the cops shed their ‘brute’ image and act friendly with commoners. The draft report makes a strong recommendation for taking away from the police the power to arrest anybody on mere suspicion that he/she might commit a crime (as per Section 151 of the Cr PC) or on the suspicion that a person holds stolen goods or if a person fails to give his/her correct address to the police.

“We feel that the sweeping powers given in the criminal procedure code to the police is the core reason why cops misuse their authority. This is why people perceive the police as tyrants and despots,” said Dubey. He also said that the ARC was intent on paving the way for civil control on the police so that the cops, especially at the police station-level did not act in an arbitrary or prejudicial manner. There will be recommendation to give powers to citizens groups, NGOs and ward committees to review pending cases in each police station of their area and also give suggestions to the police on important cases. “ We want an element of civil control on the police force,” said Dubey.

The ARC is of the strong view that shoddy investigation of incidents of crime is one of the core factors responsible for the spurt in crime in the State. So, the ARC is going to recommend a separation between the law and order duty and investigation work to avoid any overlapping of work. The ARC is also going to suggest strong measures to tackle organised crime and economic offenses by suggesting to the government to equip the investigation wing with sub-inspectors having professional knowledge of computers, law, commerce and economics.

“The poor training and knowledge of sub-inspectors vital for tackling professional crime is one reason why there has been an increase in white-collared crime. We will also suggest raising the eligibility bar for appointment as sub-inspectors requiring the candidates to be graduates besides reserving a certain percentage of seats for people with professional degrees. This will be a great help to better investigation of crimes,” said Dubey.

Besides, the ARC is also keen to suggest that the government bring in amendments in the IPC to make more offenses bailable so that those committing petty crimes could get bail at the police station itself and was not sent to jail.

The ARC Chairman said that the idea behind bringing more offenses (other than serious crimes like rape, dacoity, sedition, terror acts, murder) under bailable clauses so that petty offenders were not pushed into jail to live among hardened criminals.

Lastly, the ARC is also looking at ways to lessen the work pressure on police personnel, especially those on field duty, including sub-inspectors and constables. “Constables behave rudely with the people as they are overstressed and less educated. Once they are de-stressed, there could be behavioral changes in them,” said Dubey.

NTPC to supply power to Goa, Maha from Bihar

State-run power major NTPC has signed power purchase agreements (PPA) with Maharashtra and Goa for supplying electricity from its Barh plant in Bihar.

The PPA was signed by representatives of NTPC, government of Goa and the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co Ltd in Mumbai on Thursday, NTPC said in a release here.


This is the first PPA signed by the company for supply of power from the second phase of its Barh plant, which is scheduled to be completed by 2012, said an official.

Earlier, the company had signed PPAs with Bihar and the Union territories of the northern and western region for the supply of power from the first phase, the official said.

NTPC is setting up a thermal power plant in the Barh district in two phases, with a capacity of 1,980 mw and 1,320 mw respectively, the release said.

The company will supply power to eastern, western and northern regions from its Barh plant.

Patna ki Deepali in the Gala III round of Indian Idol

Bihari Janta, She seems to be the best and it is our responsibility to see her through in the contest by voting her to win.

So please...please Vote for this Girl.

India wants high dam in Nepal to check Bihar floods every year

With vast tracts of north Bihar and adjoining areas in other states groaning under the severe impact of perennial floods caused by rivers emanating from Nepal, India wants early construction of the multi-purpose Saptakoshi high dam project in the Himalayan nation.

"A detailed project report will be completed by next year," Union Minister of State for Water Resources Jaiprakash Narayan Yadav told reporters here on Wednesday.

He said that soon after coming to power in 2004, the UPA Government took up the long-pending issue with Nepal and it was decided to prepare a detailed project report. A Joint Project Office was opened the same year at Biratnagar in Nepal.

Yadav said that to ensure expeditious action, 32 officials from India and 40 from Nepal were appointed.

He said Rs 30 crore was initially earmarked for preparing the project report in 30 months. But, since the progress has remained very slow because of Maoist activities in Nepal, the cost will go up to Rs 70 crore now.

Yadav said the External Affairs Ministry was in constant touch with Kathmandu and kept up pressure for early construction of the 269-metre high dam over Saptakoshi River that will not only check the surging waters, but also generate hydro-electricity and provide enhanced irrigation facilities.

He said crops and property worth thousands of crores were lost due to the floods.

Nitish to attend Bihar Week celebrations

A 30-member contingent headed by chief minister Nitish Kumar will be leaving for Mauritius on July 25 to participate in Bihar Week celebrations commencing from July 27 at Port Louis.

The list of delegates includes industries minister Gautam Singh, food and civil supplies minister Suchitra Sinha, culture minister Janardan Singh Sigriwal and Renu Devi (MLA).

According to official sources, Bihar’s advocate general P K Sahi will also accompany the CM to Mauritius. One representative each of Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Bihar Industries Association will also be the part of the delegation.

Among the bureaucrats, ADG (HQ) Abhayanand, information and PRD secretary Vivek K Singh, industrial development commissioner S Vijay Raghavan, culture secretary Anjani K Singh, principal secretary to the CM R C P Sinha and special secretary to the CM Chanchal Kumar will be there in the delegation. A 15-member cultural troupe led by Bhojpuri folk singer Manoj Tiwary will accompany the team.

Meet the visually challenged mechanic from Bihar

STRONG HOPE: He is visually challenged But his physical handicap does not come in the way of his skills.

They say where there is a will there is a way and Ram Kishun of Bihar is a classic example of this. He is visually challenged but that doesn’t stop him from being the best car mechanic in a Bihar town.

Meet Ram Kishun the most sought-after car mechanic in Birpur town of north Bihar. He knows the vehicles in and out. He is visually challenged But his physical handicap does not come in the way of his skills.

Kishun says, “I can work on the gear box, and brakes very well.”

A jeep driver Raja says, “He can't see but just by touching a vehicle he can detect the fault. If he has repaired a car once then he can tell whose car it is the next time it comes.”

Ram Kishun was born visually challenged but he always had a dream to follow. Instead of school he started spending time at motor garages and slowly picked up the skills of repairing cars and jeeps.

Car owner Shailesh Singh says, “He does such a good job with his dedication that I have become his fan.”

There are regrets though. When asked about his marriage he said, “Why who will marry me.”

Ram Kishun lives as a shining example inspiring the differently abled to fight back in life.

Watch the full Report on CNN IBN

NRIs volunteer to fund education of Bihar schoolboy

Moved by the plight of a Bihar schoolboy who pulls rickshaw for a living and education, some non-resident Indians (NRIs) have come forward to help him.

Rajiv Ranjan, a Class X student of a school at Ara in Bhojpur, about 60 km from here, has been working as a rickshawpuller for the last four years.

"After reading about the plight of Ranjan, I am really interested to help him," Ravi Verma, an American of Indian origin, settled in Silicon Valley in the US, said. He said he would help Ranjan complete his education.

Jay Verma, an NRI in Finland, approached bihartimes.com, a popular news portal of the state, and sought details of Ranjan.

"I would like to bear Ranjan's education expenses. Will you be kind enough to let me know his postal address. I will be happy to do whatever I can to ensure that he gets proper education," Verma, who is based in Helsinki, wrote in his letter to Ajay Kumar of the news portal.

Another offer of help has come from Saudi Arabia. "I would like to help Ranjan pay the registration fees for his board examination. Please let me know the amount required," Ahmad Rasheed, a native of Bihar, said.

Not only the NRIs, but also some Biharis settled in other parts of the country have come forward to help the schoolboy.

Ranjan, who is due to appear for the Class 10 board examination early next year, is the only earning member of his family. His father, Binod Kumar, used to work as a labourer but has been bed-ridden for over a year.

He attends school in the morning and pulls the rickshaw in the evening. He also pays the school fees of his two younger sisters with his meagre earnings.

A unique marriage fair in Madhubani in Bihar

Madhubani (Bihar), July 13: Saurath village in Madhubani District in Bihar holds a unique fair every year when marriages are arranged after holding negotiations in the midst of mango groves.

The marriage fair is called the "Saurath Sabha" and the patrons are mainly Maithili Brahmins. Hundreds of parents gather at the fair to find a suitable match for their wards.

After fixing the matrimonial alliance marriages are solemnised.

The practice of conducting such a fair had almost ended, as the parents of the boys started demanding dowry. The demand for dowry started picking up in the seventies.

Members of the Saurath Sabha, however, revived the old custom of conducting matrimonial fair. Youngsters have been prodding their parents that they are more interested in finding a match than getting dowry.

The social pressure has helped in the revival of the fair. The organisers of the Saurath Sabha have also been making arrangement for priests who help in matching horoscopes.

Dr. Shekhar Chandra Mishra, the secretary of Saurath Sabha, says: "After 1976, the practise of holding a marriage fair was on the verge of extinction. To bring it back to life, we have been calling upon the youth to come forward and take part in this fair. We have appealed to government many a times but in vain."

This matrimonial fair is usually organised during Jyestha - Aasadh (June to July) as per Hindu almanac. The popular venue of the fair is generally mango groves.The boys are keen to have an accomplished bride, and do not demand dowry and accept whatever 'gifs' are offered voluntarily.

Govind Kumr Jha, a bridegroom, said: "I will accept whatever will be gifted to me."

The parents generally look for an accomplished daughter-in-law.

Shailendra Mohan Jha, the father of a to-be-bridegroom, said: "I have no demands. If the bride's family wants to gift something to their daughter or organise a gala celebration after the event, we have no problem with that. As far as gifts are concerned, if they want to give something it is a welcome. The expenses of the wedding should be borne by the girl's parents. "

Saurath Sabha's priest and registrar of marriages, Vishwamohan Chandra Mishra, said: "Everyone comes here, doctors, big landlords and even big merchants".

Progressive Maithilis feel that Saurath Sabha is an ideal medium to curb the menace of dowry.

Boys from cities patronise the Sabha as they find educated brides to suit their lifestyle in a modern society.

After Nalanda, Aryabhatta University In Bihar

After initiating a move to set up an international university in Nalanda, the Bihar government has drawn up a blueprint for setting up a professional university here.

The proposed Aryabhatta University, an autonomous body, will grant affiliation to government and private technical institutes in Bihar and act as a regulatory body for maintaining standards in these institutes.

Medical colleges of the state will also be brought under the jurisdiction of this university.

The state government plans to get the nod of the cabinet soon in this regard after which the bill for the proposed university is expected to be passed in the next session of the legislature this month.

'The prime objective of setting up the university is to develop professional education in response to the changing demands of the competitive world,' officials said.

Once the university comes into existence, it will act as a single-window clearance system for maintaining a uniform policy as far as technical educational institutes in the state are concerned, they said.

Meanwhile, the work to start an international university in Nalanda has already been started by the Bihar government.

Nobel laureate Amartya Sen will head a panel that will oversee the establishment of the university and its first meeting will be held in Singapore this month.

The proposed university will be fully residential, like the ancient seat of learning in Nalanda, which was once home to over 10,000 students and nearly 2,000 teachers. In the first phase of the project, seven schools with 46 foreign faculty members and over 400 Indian academics will be established.

The university will impart courses in science, philosophy and spiritualism along with other subjects. A renowned international scholar will be its chancellor.

The idea of the university was first mooted in the late 1990s, but it was President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam who gave shape to the initiative in early 2006.

Patna Museum to be modelled on Singapore Museum

The display of antiquities, light arrangement in the galleries and others in the Patna Museum may soon be modeled after the Singapore Museum. The culture department is planning to impart a modern, technologically advanced look to the interiors of the Patna Museum.

It is planning to work over the development project in collaboration with the Singapore Museum, seeking technological support and guidance from Singapore. A MoU for the joint venture is to be signed soon between the two museum officials.


Confirming this the culture secretary, Anjani Kumar Singh said in Patna on Saturday that the department had taken initiatives to join hands with the Singapore Museum. It had sought their technical support for the modernisation of the Patna Museum.

“A team of the Singapore Museum officials led by Gauri Krishnan visited the Patna Museum recently to study the number of antiquities, galleries, the display of museum collection and others. We are now waiting for the study,” he said.

Patna Museum is widely known for its rich collection of Natural history and Buddhist antiquities. But their display had remained to be the old and needed to be modernised, he added.

In Singapore there is a Civilisation Museum, offering visitors an opportunity to witness the development of civilization, especially in the region. The display of the collection and the light arrangement there are highly advanced and impressive.

The department is planning to adopt those technical advancements. It is also considering consulting architects there for any renovation in the galleries, he informed.

The culture secretary said that the department was also planning to organise an exhibition of art and antiquities of Bihar in Singapore in November this year.

“The South East Asia Summit is expected to be held there at that time and so the event will be attended by number of foreign delegates. The exhibition will provide a good opportunity to popularise rich cultural and architectural heritage of the state across the globe,” he said.

He said that technical expertise of the Singapore Museum officials would be sought in the exhibition also, he added.

The new Nalanda

This could be the New Bihar Story. From the thousand-year-old ruins of an ancient university, a blueprint is being unveiled to build a world-class institute of learning...

Nearly 90 km from Patna lies a morsel of the past. Though dead and mostly buried, it jibes at the present: it speaks of a legacy that the state of Bihar perhaps so undeservedly lays claim to. Till recently, no one listened to the ruins of Nalanda. Now, their silence is being heard.

In a visionary gesture, the Nitish Kumar Government has decided to revive the university that was perhaps the biggest international seat of learning between 5th and 12th centuries AD, the first residential academic centre that attracted scholars from as far as China, Tibet, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Persia and Turkey. Some of these countries, including China and Japan, are now coming together to bring Nalanda to life.

“You can gauge the enthusiasm from the fact that the issue figured in the recent talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese President Hu Jintao and then with the Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. It also figured in the East Asian Summit held in January in Philippines this year and is likely to be raised again at the summit in November in Singapore,” says N.K. Singh, Deputy Chairman, State Planning Board.

Though countries from East and Southeast Asia—for whom Bodh Gaya and Nalanda were crucial pilgrimages—had always wanted to revive the university, it took concrete shape when it was pursued by outgoing President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. He had outlined the contours of the proposed university during his special address to the Bihar Legislature last year. Of the 10 suggestions for a prosperous Bihar, revival of the university figured as crucial.

The Nitish Administration lapped up the idea, with the Chief Minister taking a keen interest in the project. He, perhaps, realises that the project can transform Bihar’s image in the international arena and yield long-term benefits for the state in terms of investment. Within a short span and at a surprising pace, the Government identified around 500 acres of land for setting up the international university and had a bill enacted by the state assembly. “By next week, we hope to take possession of around 450 acres,” says Nalanda District Magistrate Anand Kishore.

The proposed university will be situated 16 km from the ruins of Nalanda at the foot of the hills in Rajgir (earlier known as Rajgriha) and start functioning from 2009. It will be unique in the sense that it will be owned jointly by several countries, especially from South and Southeast Asia. The University Act clearly talks about setting up a consortium of international partners and friendly countries, and the project has already attracted the attention of some of the most dynamic economies of East and Southeast Asia, ringing hope in a state lagging far behind in all indices of development. The Nalanda project hopes to revive the historical ties this region enjoyed in areas like trade, science, mathematics, astronomy, religion and philosophy.

Possibly the first of its kind in the world, it intends to recreate the spirit of its ancient counterpart. “The architecture and the buildings for the university and its campus shall be carefully designed so as to reflect its vision and mission as set out in the objectives of the university,” the Act for the university states.

History has it that Nalanda was an architectural marvel and its sprawling campus could accommodate nearly 10,000 students and 2,000 teachers. It had a nine-storey library, eight compounds, 10 temples, meditation halls, classrooms, lakes and parks. The ancient university was multidisciplinary and the scholars jostled to take lessons in subjects ranging from fine arts and medicine to philosophy and astronomy. Mathematics and politics were the other crucial disciplines along with warfare. Nalanda’s most celebrated scholar was perhaps Chinese traveller Hieun Tsang, who not only studied here but also taught and spent nearly 15 years at the university. In fact, India and China have recently erected a memorial at Nalanda to honour Tsang.

The Union Government has also set up a Mentor Group, which would be headed by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, have members drawn from different countries and Foreign Secretary as its ex-officio member-secretary. Singapore Foreign Minister George Hui, Wangei Hui, Director, Institute of Indian Studies, Beijing, Prof Sugata Bose (Harvard), Lord Meghnad Desai and Prof D.N. Jha of Delhi University are some who have consented to be members.

“The Mentor Group will give a report on pedagogy, syllabus, academic calendar, funding and organisational structure of the university. The group’s first meeting is scheduled in the middle of July in Singapore. After that it will hold three more meetings in Tokyo, Beijing and India to give a final shape to the plan. The report is expected by the end of the year,” says Singh.

“The report will be given a final shape in consultation with the university’s Visitor—likely to be Kalam after his term as President ends—and it will then be submitted to international agencies for funding,” says Bihar Human Resource Development Secretary Madan Mohan Jha. Nitish Kumar will formally offer the Visitor’s post to Kalam after he leaves the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

The Bihar Government has already had a detailed project report (DPR) prepared by Educational Consultants of India Limited (EDCIL) for the establishment of the university, which is expected to incur a total expenditure of Rs 630 crore and an annual recurring expenditure of Rs 375 crore. Once international funding is assured for the University of Nalanda, the state government hopes that its other projects for developing tourist infrastructure would also receive international support.

To begin with, the new university will have seven Schools of Learning, including Philosophy and Buddhist Studies, Information and Communication (Informatics), Basic and Applied Sciences, Development Studies, Natural Resource Management, International Studies and Languages. The final structure will, however, depend on the report of the Mentor Group.

In the first phase, the university will offer only postgraduate, research, doctoral and post-doctoral degrees, and it expects to attract students from several countries. A scholar of international repute will be the university’s chancellor.


According to the DPR, in the first year, the university will have 1,137 students and the number will increase to 4,530 by the fifth year. The university will maintain a 1:10 teacher-student ratio and a minimum proportion of academic and non-academic staff in the ratio of 70:30. The faculty members shall be so selected that they are culturally tuned to the vision and mission of the university.

Realising that history could repeat itself in the modern context, the Nitish Kumar Government has already chalked out an ambitious plan to develop Nalanda and Rajgir as per international standards. A state-of-the-art tourist park, township, airport and golf course have been planned, targeting foreign investments, which will be used to build world-class infrastructure in the region to help boost tourism.

The biggest challenge before the state, Centre and others involved in establishing the university would be to arrange funding and get the best faculty. Only then can it hope to attract students from across the world. Only then may the clamouring ruins of Nalanda finally fall silent, the dead past laid to rest.