Ramu invites Bihar CM to his film premiere

Patna, Aug 31: Noted Bollywood director Ram Gopal Varma on Thurdsay invited Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to watch his forthcoming film `Shiva` at a special show here sometime in the second week of September. The director of hit films like `Sarkar`, `Satya` and `Rangeela` was here to promote `Shiva`. He called on Nitish Kumar at his One Anne Marg residence and invited him. "My perception of Bihar has changed. The state has changed and it looks different now.... I was on a courtsey call and had come to invite the Chief Minister to the premiere of my film," Varma told reporters at the CM`s residence. Kumar said he accepted the invitation.

Plan to install hi-tech devices at railway stations

PATNA: The East Central Railway (ECR) plans to install a sophisticated gadget — data logger, a la black boxes in aeroplanes — at each station under the Danapur division. The move is aimed at ensuring safety in the division, Danapur DRM Pankaj Jain said on Tuesday. The DRM said that each data logger costs Rs 4 lakh. The railways have decided to install the device at each station on the mainline section, right from Mughalsarai to Jhajha and on the Patna-Gaya route. The new device will connect each station of the division with the Danapur control room through a computerised link service. Besides monitoring the movement of trains, the data loggers would keep giving round-the-clock information to the Danapur control room about the position of trains running in the division, he said. The DRM said that the new technology would help controllers in keeping a track on the movement of trains. In case of any fault, the new device will transmit data which would be automatically displayed on computer screens at the control room. The data loggers will also record the information exchanged between the controllers and station masters while giving clearance to each passing trains at different stations in the division. In case of any mishap, the data loggers would also throw light on the lapses committed by the staff concerned, the DRM said. According to senior divisional telecom and signalling engineer Rajesh Kumar, this ambitious project would cost the railways a whopping Rs 3.25 crore. The railways plan to install data loggers on all the 53 railway stations on the mainline section, besides the 11 railway stations on the Patna-Gaya route. The data loggers would be installed at 64 railway stations. So far, data loggers have been installed at 25 railway stations on the mainline section and seven railway stations on the Patna-Gaya route, he said. The DRM further said that a new inquiry system would be introduced in the Danapur division soon. Passengers can seek information about the position of trains passing through the division by simply sending an SMS through their cellphones. The new inquiry system envisages installation of a device on the top of the railway engines. This device will transmit information regarding the position of trains via satellite. A trial demonstration of this device was successfully carried out on Monday, the DRM said. The railways also plan to introduce a new facility — voice recognising system — for the benefit of passengers. The voice recognising system will be directly linked with the Patna call centre of the railways whose telephone number is 139. The new system will enable passengers to inquire about the movement of any train in any part of the country, the DRM said.

Satellite imagery work on Nalanda ruins begins

Space scientists began fieldwork for satellite imagery exploration in and around the ruins of the ancient Nalanda University in Bihar.

A two-member team of senior space scientists from Hyderabad based National Remote Sensing Agency are currently in Nalanda, about 100 km from here, for the field study. 'The scientists are camping in Nalanda for a field study since Monday to collect data on site settlements and water bodies around the ruins of Nalanda University,' an official said.In April, union Minister for Tourism and Culture Ambika Soni during her visit to Nalanda mooted a plan to use satellite imagery for exploration in the area. An expert on Nalanda said the current extent of the more than 2,500-year-old Nalanda ruins is 1.6 square kilometres. The oldest university in the world is believed to have been spread over a radius of 16 km earlier.The satellite imagery would help to explore the unexplored part of Nalanda ruins, an expert said.

Bihar to get Rs 550cr sugar complex

The Bihar government on August 17 approved a proposal from Glucon Limited for setting up Rs 550-crore sugar complex at Rasoolpur in Saran district.

The state cabinet recently cleared the proposal.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi and several of their cabinet colleagues attended the meeting.

The meeting also cleared a proposal from the agriculture department to provide Rs 10 as subsidy on purchase of a litre of diesel by farmers in light of the drought-like situation over a vast area in the state due to scanty rains, Cabinet Secretary A K Chouhan told reporters after the meeting.

Kumar had made an announcement about the subsidy while addressing a gathering on Independence Day.

The cabinet sanctioned a sum of Rs 49.50 crore for providing the subsidy to farmers through gram sabhas, he said.

Chouhan said the cabinet sanctioned Rs 7.41 crore for reconstituting industrial centres at all district headquarters, besides regularising the temporary appointment of 238 employees in the planning department.

The cabinet also decided to entrust the home department the task of undertaking the construction of walls in graveyards across the state.

Shekhar Suman to gift PATNA : paediatrics HEART HOSPITAL

Yesterday afternoon Amitabh Bachchan of TV Sri Shekhar Suman met Bihar CM sri Nitish Kumar along with his father Dr Phani Bhusan Prasad . Its a well known fact that Sri Shekhar Suman wants to dedicate a SUPER SPECIALITY PAEDIATRICs HEART HOSPITAL for PATNA Children in the memory of his first son who died a few years back . Sri Nitish Kumar assured Sri Shekhar Suman to help him at every stage and even called health Secretary Deepak Kumar and Development Secretary A K Chaudhary and directed them to assist SHEKHAR .

Thanks Shekhar !! You are a true BIHARI , We all saluate you .

Ranjan Rituraj Sinh , NOIDA

Mahila Udyog Mela: State shedding 'untouchable' tag

PATNA: It appears Bihar is no longer feared. The message has gone out across the country that a visitor can not only survive in Bihar but can also do brisk business. No wonder then that the 11th Bihar Mahila Udyog Mela, which is run solely by women entrepreneurs, is getting business inquiries from states which never participated in any business fair in this state before. The September 14-to-18 fair is likely to see participation from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra this year. "This is unprecedented. Till now our participants would be mainly from Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. But this year we have been flooded with inquiries from other states," said Bihar Mahila Udyog Sangh president Pushpa Chopra. She said entrepreneurs from Patiala, Haryana, Delhi, Lucknow, Pune, Kolkata and Andhra Pradesh have confirmed their participation. They have also booked stalls at the fair. "It is not just about an individual's enterprise. But these states would be sending clusters of women accompanied by a staff of the government as well," Chopra said. From Andhra Pradesh, an entire team of lace makers would come. The number of participants from West Bengal is expected to go up this year. A woman entrepreneur said, "Till now women from other states were afraid of visiting Bihar. They often told us that they had heard all kinds of stories and would rather stay away. But this year there is a sense of confidence among the same people. They are now willing to come and showcase their products."....

So this year apart from the usual saris, kurtas, bed covers and handicraft items, visitors can also purchase original phulkari embroidery from the Patiala stalls, and admire the handicraft of Maharashtra. However, the limited space inside the Miller School ground, the fair venue, is set to be a dampener. Though the number of participants is set to increase, the organisers have not been able to majorly increase the number of stalls. Said Chopra, "We would urge the government to join hands with us and help us organise the fair on a larger scale from next year onwards."

Ex-queen bid to keep raj memories alive

PATNA: Maharani Kamasundari Devi, the lone surviving member of the erstwhile Darbhanga raj, has created Maharajadhiraja Kameshwar Singh Kalyani Foundation for the protection and development of the literary and cultural traditions of Mithila. Now 75, Kamasundari is the second wife of the last king of Darbhanga estate, Maharajadhiraja Kameshwar Singh, who died in 1962. His first wife died in 1976. Maharani Kamasundari does not have any issue. The first wife of the Maharaja too didn't have an issue. Kamasundari has gifted her late husband's personal library of about 15,000 books, manuscripts and encyclopaedia to the foundation. Besides, rare paintings belonging to the 15th century and a mango orchard spread in 30 bighas have also been donated to the foundation. "Thousands of rare gramophone records, including the speeches of Pt Madan Mohan Malviya and Sarojini Naidu and the coronation of King George V, are now the prized possessions of the foundation," its managing trustee Hetukar Jha said. Around 12,000 photographs, several hundred manuscripts and films on the visits of viceroys and governors of Bihar to Darbhanga between 1930 and 1948 include the rare collections which have now been donated to the foundation. The foundation will release two rare books in November this year ahead of the beginning of the year-long centenary year celebration of the Maharajadhiraja Kameshwar Singh. One of the books will be "Bhagalpur Darpan, "which was written by Jharkhandi Jha in 1930 but which is now out of print. The other will be a book on the paintings on Bihar by artists of the colonial era. The foundation will also publish a book on the raj's contribution to the socio-economic and political developments in Bihar. The book, in three series besides a pictorial biographical collection, will be out sometime next year, Jha said.

PU may finally get Central varsity status

DARBHANGA HOUSE , PATNA UNIVERSITY

PATNA: The Centre has decided to open an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Bihar besides an Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT). It has also decided to accord Central university status to one of the universities in the state, preferably Patna Univeristy. The announcements were made by Union minister of state for HRD MAA Fatmi at the inaugural ceremony of a new experiment of the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) called "On Demand Examination" here on Monday. Fatmi said, "The proposal for one IIT for Bihar and two for Orissa and one Western Indian state besides one IIIT to Bihar will be included in 11th Five Year Plan". He said that five universities were being upgraded as Central universities of which one will be from Bihar. "The process for the upgrade has already started," he said. The Union junior minister further said that Institute of Science are going to be opened in Kolkata, Pune and Punjab. In Kolkata, the foundation has already been laid, he added. A bit critical of the state government, Fatmi said the Centre has allotted Rs 2400 crore under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). "Kasturba Gandhi Residential Schools for girls were sanctioned for 128 blocks of Bihar but so far only 62 have been established. A huge fund of Rs 1300 crore for construction of school buildings under SSA is lying with the state government," he said. "The Centre is releasing funds in the name of SSA but the state government has changed the name of the scheme to Mukhyamantri Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan," he said adding they were not authorised to change the name. Similarly, funds have been provided for 4000 madarsas of Bihar under the innovative education scheme but only 400 have got the money so far, he said...
The "Jab Chaho Pariksha" scheme was formally inaugurated by railway minister Lalu Prasad, who said Patna is the third place where this scheme has been launched after Delhi and Pune. Under this scheme the children who could not appear in regular examinations and those who have failed can apply for examinations which would be arranged for them within 10 days. About 550 such centres would be opened in the country and in Bihar it would be implemented even in the interiors. The HRD minister also announced that four new Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) would be opened in Madhubani, Sheohar, Supaul and Araria. As many as 13 KVs are already functioning in Bihar. Lalu said Kasturba Gandhi Residential School Scheme is meant for girls belonging to minorities, Dalits and backwards where they are given stipends besides free accommodation and food. He asked Fatmi to seek reports from all DMs regarding the implementation of the scheme. "Speak to the CM and ask why various schemes of education are not being implemented despite provision of funds." Earlier, NIOS chairman N C Pant introduced the scheme and welcomed the guests.

UTI Pension Fund ropes in Bihar dairy farmers

Over 50,000 dairy farmers of the State Co-operative Milk Federation in Bihar are set to join UTI Mutual Fund’s Retirement Benefit Pension Fund, making the scheme a unique model that allows unorganised labour force to come under the pension bracket by contributing an amount as low as Rs 200 per month till the age of 55, reports Business Standard.

UK Sinha, chairman and managing director of UTI Asset Management Company, said the pension fund, originally designed as a tax-saving instrument, was revived to
bring in the unorganised workers under the pension ambit.

As milk farmers are expected to join the scheme soon, the fund house has also made reasonable progress with the Indian Farmers’ Fertilizers Co-operative Ltd (Iffco) for a similar tieup. About one-lakh farmers each from five districts in the country are expected to join by October. Currently, only 12% of the working class have a formal pension scheme and UTIMF zrgets the unorganised labourers. Sinha said UTIMF was confident of giving good returns on these savings, going by the scheme’s past records. The pension plan has given a return of 12.64% since its inception in 1993 and this should be compared with the returns of 8% under the Employee Provident Fund (EPF) or the other pension schemes. Over a working age tenure (from 18 years to 58 years), a 12% return would amount to a lumpsum amount of Rs 19.40 lakh while for a 10% return, the amount would shrink to Rs 11.10 lakh.

Justice N N Singh commission on Bhagalpur Riots gets extension

Patna, Aug 27: Bihar government today decided to extend the term of Justice N N Singh commission which was set to probe the cases of Bhagalpur riots of 1989 afresh in which over 1000 people had lost their lives. The NDA government after coming to power had constitututed the judicial commission asking it to probe the police laxity as well the role of other officials for failing to gather concrete evidences against the accused in at least 27 cases and submit its report within six months of its first hearing. Home secretary Afzal Amanullah told reporters that the government has decided in principle to extend the term of the commission as the commission was not provided with the office and employees in time to commence its inquiry. A proposal in this regard would be submitted to the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for getting the cabinet's clearance, home secretary said. "Now that the office and other requirements of the commission have been met, we expect that Justice (Retd) N N Singh will submit the report within six months after commission commence the hearing," Amanullah said. Meanwhile, the main accused Kameshwar Yadav of Bhagalpur riots has surrendered and many other witnesses who were not turning up in the court earlier have now approached the district administration and have expressed their willingness to record their statements before the commission, he said.

Govt to clamp down on corruption

PATNA: The Bihar government has planned crackdown on corruption in a big way. In the first phase, the state's 22 rich, corrupt and (in)famous people with political connections are to be trapped by a specially raised anti-corruption squad. The list of these influential people includes those who have amassed huge wealth through various means, including government contracts. The bigwigs in question are believed to be fountainheads of corruption, involved in scams and other forms of malfeasance. And chief minister Nitish Kumar appears to be serious this time. When he announced the plan to strike at corruption during his Independence Day speech he definitely had a long-term picture in mind. According to highly placed sources, the move to hire ex-CBI officials for the special squad is aimed at achieving that goal. The ex-CBI personnel were needed because the state vigilance bureau is not well-equipped to lay hands on mafia and contractors who have grown rich at the cost of the state exchequer. "First we will nail these people and then identify corrupt government servants," said a senior official. The government's proposal will first be approved by the state cabinet. Although the squad will work in tandem with the state vigilance bureau, the home department will also monitor its functioning. The sources said nearly 150 retired CBI personnel, mostly DSP and inspector-rank officials would be hired on contract basis for two years.

Students to plant 4.5 lakh saplings

PATNA: The Forest and Environment department has formally issued the 'Kishore Chetna Briksh Yojna' — an ambitious plan to plant 4.5 lakh saplings through school children in the next three years. The scheme is to be implemented in all the 38 districts of Bihar and the children from classes VI to X studying in schools affliated to ICSE, CBSE and Bihar School Examination Board. The schoolstudents will be paid Rs 100 every year for three years for nurturing the tree to above grazing height. The scheme was announced by CM Nitish Kumar during his Independence Day speech. According to the notification, the children are to fill up formats made available by the forest department to the school's principal. The saplings are to be planted on the school premises, adjoining places or on private land of the students. The saplings selected for plantation are mostly of fruits like mango, jamun, jackfruit, lichhi, mahua and amla apart from amaltash, pipal, pakar and guller — all long surviving trees. The school principals are expected to send detailed reports on the trees planted by students. The forest department will inspect the sites and after being satisfied that genuine plantation has been done, it will send the money to the school through bank draft. The idea of awarding prizes to students for the 'best three planations' has also been mooted. According to informed sources Rs 5 crore has been earmarked for the scheme in the current fiscal. There is also a strong possibility of students having a good academic background participating in the scheme being given financial assistance by the time they finish schooling.

Winds of Change in Bihar

So finally Lalu has been applauded as a great Manager by none other than IIM-A Director, Bakul H Dholakia. So does it means this augurs well for Bihar as one of it’s ex chief minister is rated as the best manager and the present Chief Minister has just been voted, second time in row, as the most preferred chief minister of an Indian State? I’m sure the citizens of state can’t ask for more.

Considering the realities of the state it would be fair to say that the people of the state actually need the best from all its leaders if at all it needs to catch up with the rest and make amends for the past.

One of the best things about Indian democracy is that it never fails to amuse you, the same holds true for our Politicians too. Laloo in general considered to be the most corrupt, inefficient, rustic and chief culprit for the backwardness of Bihar. People of Bihar have not been able to forget the ignominy and indictment afflicted by the 15 years of tyranny committed by Laloo and his folks. It’s too hard and difficult for them to forgive him for throes of being labeled as a state of Jungle raj and lawlessness.

Now suddenly we have a new Chief Minister who promises to revive the pristine glory of Bihar and we have new hope and aspiration. But does it also means Lalu has learnt his lessons and has risen from ashes in a new avatar? Is it the end of corrupt, inefficient and inept politicians from Bihar? The answer to this is not easy.

The state has some serious malaise which every administrator or politicians need to address. Be it the obnoxious politicians-criminal-bureaucracy connection, the caste driven politics, or even the lawlessness and crime perpetuated by high ups, all this has been responsible for the deep crisis which we face today.

To expect that any politician or leader will be able to extricate us from the excruciating vicious circle is little too optimistic. As an individual they may have great dreams and vision but as the leader of a party they also have some black sheep’s in their own pack. One of the serious challenges which I see for any govt in Bihar is too keep a check on the unsavory characters from different walks of Public life.

On the brighter side I see lot of positive action, vision and serious public efforts through various groups, forums to collectively work for a change. Be it people from Bihari origin or Non Resident Bihari’s every one is chipping in and the emotional connect has been revived and the cynicism has given way to optimism. Perceptions count a lot and our Chief Minister is also not leaving any stone unturned to make an impact wherever possible by statements like this "You know, Tata’s want to invest in Bihar,"

The CM said he is in receipt of a letter from Ratan Tata, saying he wanted to come to Bihar. "I have also written back to him saying he is most welcome Investment proposals worth about Rs 9,000 crore have been cleared by the NDA government, he said and added, "That is a record in itself". He said he is trying to serve Bihar to the best of his ability. "I am trying to write a new story for the state every day," he said. He, however, said that decisions taken by him are not final. "I respect suggestions made by others and my doors are open for people giving suggestions,".

His Govt. was also commended for "positive changes in law and order and development efforts" by British High Commissioner in India Sir Michael Arthur who promised greater assistance in certain key areas. "On the basis of our feedback from different sources, I can say that there are positive changes in Bihar on law and order.... We are impressed by the developmental efforts," Arthur told reporters after meeting the Chief Minister at the State Secretariat.

With Laloo winning accolades all over India and Nitish in Bihar who is also the ex-railways minister and has been credited for setting the track for railways revival it promises a bright future for the state. We can actually hope that a benchmark for future govt. is set in the days to come so that the people of Bihar can reap the fruits of a well administered state .

Thanks You Journalists to Put Good news on BIHAR

PATNA: Buoyed up by the functioning of the new dispensation, leading bankers and corporate executives are making a beeline to the state these days. The chief executive of Indian Bank met deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi on Tuesday and expressed willingness to expand the bank's base in the state. On Wednesday, the CEO of HSBC, Naina Lal Kidwai, the executive director of Central Bank, K Subbaraman, the chairman of the Union Bank of India and the president (inspection and audit) of the UTI Bank, Ranjan K Niyogi, were in Patna.

On Thursday, Ajai Chowdhary, the chairman of HCL, the oldest computer manufacturing company in the country, is expected to make a visit to the state capital.

The UTI Bank has already opened its second branch at Boring Road here. "We have four branches in Bihar. We will open a branch at Gaya soon. Eventually, we hope to open branches in all the districts of Bihar," Niyogi said and added that the bank plans to expand its base in the state.The officials of the UTI bank are quite happy about the bank's roaring business in Bhagalpur. "Open a branch, and it will trigger a stream of business," remarked a bank official. The changed political scenario seems to be wooing financial institutions to start operations in Bihar.

The recent dacoity of Rs 50 lakh in Patna outside a bank does not seem to have deterred the bankers the least... "At least, the police have recovered a part of the looted amount. A year back, it was simply unimaginable that the police would be able to retrieve the looted money," said another banker.

"In fact, the political leadership has reposed bankers' faith in the system. And that's why they are here," regional GM of Hudco Arun Kumar said. There has been a considerable rise in private parties seeking financial support from Hudco, he said, adding: "Our minimum budget for Bihar is Rs 200 crore. And we can go up to Rs 1,000 crore," he said.

There is an air of expectancy even in the insurance sector. "We expect an increase in business in the transport sector because of the lowering of road taxes by the new regime," said the chief regional manager of Oriental Insurance Company Limited. "We hope a few industries, particularly sugar mills, will come up in the state," he added. Incidentally, the state government has been critical of public banks for their reluctance to finance poverty eradication programmes and the agriculture sector. Though Patna has witnessed a virtual flooding of branches of private and international banks in the recent times, the government has been constantly pointing towards the large bank deposits made in Bihar every year — a whopping Rs 5,000 crore — with credit percentage being much lower. The performance of private banks in giving credit is virtually negligible. "Forty per cent of our deposits are used for credit purposes. A major chunk of the amount goes to the agriculture sector. "We will continue to focus on the agriculture sector and the small and medium scale industries in Bihar," senior vice-president of UTI Bank S K Mitra said.

Nitish CABINET meeting and OUTCOME

The state cabinet on Wednesday amended the Bihar Cinema and Bihar Entertainment Tax regulations, thereby allowing cinema hall owners to fix ticket rates and increase the seating capacity.

The state government also upgraded the rank of chowkidars to fourth grade employees with equal wages and facilities for them. Giving its assent to the rule, the cabinet fixed their salary in the range of Rs 2,500-3,200 and that of dafadars to Rs 2,610-3,540.

Ex-gratia for the civil defence personnel in accidental death, like encounter, has been fixed at Rs 2.5 lakh, at par with homeguard jawans.

To upgrade the district hospitals and primary health centres, the government has decided to accord all medical facilities to indoor patients. These hospitals will also be provided with ICU facilities, dentists and incinerators.

Six automated check-posts will be established at Karmnasha in Bhabhua and Jalalpur in Gopalganj for which the government has sanctioned Rs 21.21 crore.

For recommending the names for Padma awards, all the DMs have been asked to recommend the names of those who deserve the award in various fields from their respective districts. The names will be shortlisted here and then sent to the Union home ministry

Tatas wish to come to state, says Nitish

PATNA: After nine months in power as chief minister, Nitish Kumar on Wednesday sort of boasted of having brought about a complete change in the image of what was once the badland. "You know, Tatas want to invest in Bihar," he said. The CM said he is in receipt of a letter from Ratan Tata, saying he wanted to come to Bihar. "I have also written back to him saying he is most welcome," Nitish told media persons, attributing the change to his nine-month rule. Nitish went on. Investment proposals worth about Rs 9,000 crore have been cleared by the NDA government, he said and added, "That is a record in itself". He said he is trying to serve Bihar to the best of his ability. "I am trying to write a new story for the state every day," he said. He, however, said that decisions taken by him are not final. "I respect suggestions made by others and my doors are open for people giving suggestions," he said. The CM also took a dig at railway minister Lalu Prasad. "There are many other projects besides the one to connect Hathuwa and Bhatni (the track reportedly being laid to connect the native villages of Lalu and Rabri)," he said sarcastically and complained that work on all other rail projects in Bihar has stopped.

HSBC opens first branch in Bihar

Patna - Multinational bank Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) opened its first branch in this Bihar capital Wednesday.
The branch was jointly inaugurated by Britain’s High Commissioner to India Michael Arthur and Naina Lal Kidwai, the country head of HSBC India.
Kidwai said Bihar, particularly Patna, had enormous business potential. ‘We see interesting opportunities for HSBC in retail banking and financial services for small and mid-level corporate entities here,’ she said.

Govt to better academic scenario

PATNA: Human resources development minister Brishen Patel has said that regularisation of sessions in the universities of Bihar and enforcing an academic calendar are the top priority of his government. He has said that once the academic sessions in the state are regularised, the migration of students to other states will automatically end. "Several universities outside the state will close down," he joked while addressing a seminar on "Changing educational atmosphere of Bihar" on Tuesday. The seminar was organised by Arcade Business College. Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said the government is sensitive towards students who want a better academic atmosphere in the state. "The government wants the students to remain in the state and pursue their studies," he said. Modi expressed the hope that the students of Bihar will achieve great heights in the career they choose to opt for. "But wherever you are or whatever you become, always remember your home state and its people," he advised the students. He said that institutions like Arcade Business College have their relevance. "Major institutes take in brilliant students. But it is this kind of institutes which give even average students a chance to develop their mental faculties," he said.

The pro-VC of Magadh University, Dr Ram Prawesh Sharma, stressed the need for holding examinations in time as it is essential for improving the academic atmosphere on the university campuses. Speaking about his university, he said the results of the 2005 batch for graduation are to be published soon and the examinations for the 2006 batch would be held within two months. On this occasion, ADG Abhayanand gave tips to students for success in life. He said there are very few jobs available in the government sector. "But even for the jobs in the private sector, you must make yourself professionally sound," he said. Former Magadh University VC Dr Abhimanyu Singh recalled his tenure in the university and said he had to face many problems of students' absenteeism, holding examinations in time and ensuring timely payment of salaries to teachers. Other speakers told the audience, comprising mostly students, it is not important for students to study in big cities and that people hailing from smaller cities are also making it big in their career. The director of the institute, Ashish Kumar, said the migration of students from the state has dropped under the new regime. He also emphasised the need to encourage private investment in the education sector in Bihar.

NITISH Govt to streamline private schools

PATNA: Bihar is attempting to do what even the mighty metros haven't been able to pull off — streamline private schools and make them follow the rulebook. Already 50 schools in Bihar have entered into an agreement with the human resource development department which says this is just the beginning. According to the agreement, 25 per cent of the seats would be reserved for poor students, tution fees will not be arbitrarily hiked and at the time of admission, students who do not make it will be refunded registration fees. Besides, these schools have also agreed to admit students who live within a radius of five kilometers to promote the neighbourhood school concept. In return, the state government plans to recommend CBSE affiliation for these schools. As of now, these 50 schools either follow the ICSE board or Bihar School Education Board. Private schools in Delhi rarely have a policy on fees, reject and admit students at their own whim and under no circumstances refund registration money to unsuccessful students. Besides, almost all schools have their own buses to ferry students from as far as 20 kilometres. The situation is much the same in other metros. In Kolkata, barring the schools run by Christian organisations, no private school admits a student who cannot afford to pay full fees.

Human resource development commissioner M M Jha said, "At the moment, schools which are falling into step are the ones that need CBSE affiliation. We have decided to recommend affiliation to only those schools which agree to adhere to our rules." He said soon the government will work out ways of getting existing CBSE schools in Bihar to follow basic rules. He said, "We have discussed the matter with the CBSE chairman. As of now, there is no law to regulate existing private CBSE schools. We have also drawn his attention to the recommendations made by the Bihar Vidhan Sabha Committee in 2001 which said private schools were not following the CBSE norms." Jha said these rules were meant to boost the common school system in Bihar. "We want the concept of neighbourhood schools to come up. All children in a particular locality would have access to a school and even those who cannot pay would be welcomed to study there." He said the neighbourhood school system was prevalent in many developed countries and China. "By reserving free seats, poor students would be able to have access to quality education alongside children from wealthy families. This equitable treatment will enable children from varying backgrounds to grow up into adjusting, responsible adults," he said. An official said, "Right to Education became a fundamental right in December 2002. According to its spirit, there should not be two sets of rights, one for poor students and another for rich students. Just the way all citizens go to the same kind of polling booth to cast their vote and the same police station to register a complaint, children irrespective of their financial background should have access to the same type of education."

UK's explores investments in Bihar

Patna: Britain's High Commissioner to India Michael Arthur will be visiting Bihar on a two-day official trip beginning Wednesday to explore investment opportunities in the state.
According to official sources, this is Arthur's first visit to Bihar after Nitish Kumar took charge as chief minister.
The high commissioner will also formally launch the operations of a branch of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) here Wednesday, said informed sources.
Arthur is scheduled to meet Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi apart from other ministers of the state administration.
The government is likely to present a profile of investment opportunities in the state before Arthur.

'Bihar given largest chunk of Central funds to fight poverty'

New Delhi, Aug 23: Bihar was the biggest beneficiary last fiscal of Central allocation under different poverty alleviation programmes, the Rajya Sabha was informed today. The Centre allocated Rs 72,020.72 lakh to the state under the Indira Awas Yojana (IAY), Rs 55,724.88 lakh under the Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana (SGRY) and Rs 12623.79 lakh under the Swarnjayanati Gram Swarozgar Yajana (SGSY) in 2005-06, Minister of State for Rural Development Suryakanta Patil told the House in a reply.

Jesuit school in Bihar makes impossible dream come true

For the first time, children in remote villages have the chance to get a good education and hopes of finding secure employment. Public education is lacking or too expensive. An entire people are transforming their outlook on life.

Rampurwa (AsiaNews/UCAN) – A school run by Jesuits in a remote village in eastern India gives the poorest of the poor the opportunity to realize their dreams and to change their way of looking at life.
The Bal Siksha Vidyalaya was opened by the Jesuits in January 2005 in Rampurwa, a tribal-dominated village in Bihar state's West Champaran district. About 350 Tharu tribal children now study there; they come from 10 villages within a five-kilometer radius of the school to attend classes from kindergarten to the third grade.
Malik Dishwa said the school is a “bonanza” for all who want quality education for their children. Local government schools, he continued, existed only “on paper” because teachers only rarely showed up. People’s complaints produced no results and they felt abandoned by the state. Boarding schools in cities cost at least 1,200 rupees (26 US dollars) a month, far too much for most tribal families, whose annual income is about 6,000 rupees a year. But recently, he said his people had learned to value education for their children and he himself began to dream of a different future only when his three grandchildren began to attend the Catholic school.
Anshesh Patwari, whose two daughters and son attend the Jesuit school, said he never worried much about education, because “God blessed us with rich forests and fertile lands that give us enough to survive”. With an average of six children per family, tribal people could not even imagine schooling their children. But when the Bihar government decided, on 8 Jaunary 2003, to make Tharu people eligible for special quotas in government jobs and educational institutions, Patwari explained, "we woke up from our age-old slumber” and decided to send their children to school. "But the sordid plight of government schools was our worst bottleneck."
At the same time, the Jesuits in the province of Patna wanted to open a new school. Patna, the capital of Bihar, is around 300km south of Rampurwa. The Jesuits have been offering informal education courses there since 1990. The new school opened with 250 children in kindergarten and grades one and two. The third grade was added for the new academic year this past July.
Patwari said the "real boon" for the tribal students is the hostel facility. After classes are over, the classrooms become living and sleeping quarters for the 73 children now using the service. They come from remote villages that get flooded and become inaccessible during the monsoon months from June to October.
The hostel follows an ancient Indian education system called gurukula, in which students stay with their teachers and grow their own food.
The new school is different, Dishwa noted, only in that students do not have to cultivate the land. Instead, parents bring rice, legumes, vegetables and firewood every week. The children cook their food over earthen ovens, which every Tharu child knows how to make. Suman Garhwal, an 11-year-old third-grade student, said the children cooked meals in their own separate ovens.
The students also bring their own kerosene lamps to the school, but they are seldom used because the school has installed solar light panels for power supply. Juhi Kumari, a nine-year-old second-grade student, said she loves cooking, eating, playing and studying, instead of having to tend goats back home.
The school collects a monthly 50-rupee fee to pay the teachers, but does not charge for the hostel, so people need not impoverish themselves to educate their children. "After all, we must feed them at home, too,” said Dishwa. Motilal Mahato, another Tharu, said the school allowed his people to dream of education, leading their children to government jobs and a secure life, but the school already is a dream come true for its founder.
Fr Joseph Srampickal, a Jesuit missionary among the Tharu, said the school realizes his hope to provide "basic facilities" for tribal children's education so as to end their poverty. Before opening the school, he said, he spent 16 years in Tharu villages, urging people to educate their children. Now, he can see a radical change in them and their children.

Bihar will employ retired CBI officers

PATNA: After the successful experiment of hiring 5000 retired soldiers for policing during the last six months, the Bihar government has now drawn an ambitious plan to hire more than 100 retired officers from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to reinforce its vigilance set-up. The plan to hire professional and experienced investigators from the country's premier investigating agency to give teeth to the anti corruption cell of the state government has been already approved by the concerned departments.
The proposal would be put up for consideration of the state cabinet in its next meeting on August 22. If everything works out as planned, Bihar would become the first state in the country to make use of CBI men on such a large scale after retirement.
The state government has planned to hire a total of 116 former CBI men of which four would be in the rank of SP, 12 deputy SPs and 100 inspectors on a two-year contract. The monthly emoluments worked out for them rank-wise are Rs 35000, Rs 30,000 and Rs 25000 respectively. The estimated annual expenditure would be Rs 2.40 crore. Home Secretary Afzal Amanullah told DNA that the need to strengthen the anti-corruption wing was felt due to the fact that public funds was being pumped into development schemes across the state through different levels —right from the Panchayat bodies to different departments—and access to large sums of money and the pressure to spend it within pre-determined time period could increase corruption levels.

BHARAT RATN kee Antim Veedai .....Goonj uthee SAHNAI .....

Dr. Diwakar Tejaswi

Four men earlier diagnosed with the deadly disease of AIDS, on Friday, honored the Patna doctor who, with his outstanding care and medical treatment, helped them defy death and led them to live a safe and healthy lives.Anil Kumar, Vikas Kumar, Manoj Kumar, and Om Prakash, at the office of Dr. Diwakar Tejaswi, shared a cake to celebrate the disappearance of AIDS viruses in them and promised to give up their lives otherwise full of promiscuity.It may be recalled that Dr. Tejaswi, who is also attached with an international health organization, shocked many when he shared the same piece of cake with an HIV-infected patient a few months ago.On Friday, he repeated the feat by sharing the same cake with the four formerly HIV-infected patients.

"Fight against AIDS is an uphill battle but more than that, it is of utmost importance to instill confidence in the patients who have been diagnosed with this lethal disease," Dr. Tejaswi said.

Paswan Promises to Bring IISER in Bihar

by Dr. Rajkishore Prasad

Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Tokyo, Japan

In the last week Hon'ble Union Minister for Fertilizers and Chemicals and Steel Sri Ram Vilas Paswan came to Japan on an official visit with delegations. I requested him to spare some time to discuss issue of an IISER (Indian Institute of Science for Education and Research) for Bihar. Fortunately, despite his very hectic schedule, he agreed and I got time and met him on July 13, 2006 in the late night at Four Seasons Hotel in Tokyo.

The matter on which I drawn his attention is related with opening an IISER or NISc (National Institute of Science) in Bihar. The issue of NISc is related with former NDA led government which announced to open four NIScs, at Allahabad, Chennai, Orissa and Pune, across the country. Unfortunately, at none of the above places NISc came into the physical existence and government also changed. The current UPA led government has announced to open IISER (may be in place of NISc) in the country and till today two IISERs have been brought into functional status at Kolkata and Pune. Other places likely to get IISER are Chandigarh, Kanpur and Orissa. Unfortunately, Bihar has not been blessed with IISER despite its suitability. Regarding this I gave him a 21-page presentation pointing out the need of IISER in Bihar and prevailing disparity in distribution of national educational institutes and central budget for the technical education. Such disparities have been pointed out recently by the India Science report. Following were the points raised in the application

1. The current central government has announced to set up Indian Institute of Science for Education and Research (IISER) at Kolkata, Pune and Chandigarh. It seems that aims of IISER are similar to that of NISc, however, there is no such announcements by the government. But Bihar is again not in the list of states blessed with IISER. Applications regarding this have been sent to different authorities. On July 11, 2006, hon'ble PM has also inaugurated IISER at Kolkata.

2. It will be not out of place to mention that while opening such institutes union government is overlooking the matter of regional imbalance in the distribution of higher educational institutes as well as central funds across the country as pointed out in the India Science report 2005. However, hon'ble PM has shown his deep concern on the matter of such regional imbalances.

3. Bihar is deserted of national educational institutes. In the name of national institute, Bihar has a National Institute of Technology which is in infancy. It is well-known that in Bihar there is not a single institution like Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Research laboratories of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Laboratory of Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), Central University or other institutes of national and international reputes. List of institutes of national repute can be seen at here.

4. As per India Science Report 2005, the number of Bihari students migrating to other states for the higher studies in science may be somewhere less than 0.6%. This happens due to imbalance in distribution of such institutes. Getting higher education outside is costlier and every aspirant cannot afford it despite his/her will to continue higher education in science. Such migration of student also leads to the development of infrastructure to states where they study. The establishment of such an institute will increase percentage of students from Bihar seeking higher education in science. The unavailability of institutes like IISER of higher education and research also forbid students from other parts of the country to immigrate here for education. This dispels Bihar from national and international educational streams and state remains known for its ugly faces to the rest the country.

5. Bihar shares higher percentage of non-scientific and technical workforce of the country. In the India Science Report, Bihar comes under BIMARU group of states and keeps 8.9% of non scientific and non-technical workforce of the country.

6. While addressing joint session of the legislatures of Bihar and also Bihar Chamber of Commerce in March, 2006, hon'ble president has also emphasized the need establishment of IISER, IIT like institutes in his10-points prescription to develop Bihar. In light of the same I have talked with hon'ble union minister for S&T, through BBC on April 2, 2006, who also opined that in Bihar such institute must be open.

7. The benefits of such institutes in locality are numerous but Bihar remains unaware of such benefits. Institute like IISER will help in improving condition of the local universities and create awareness for science education and research among teachers and students. It will accelerate process of industrialization. Establishment of IISER in Bihar will be a step towards minimization of prevailing regional imbalance in the distribution of educational institutes across the country.

8. Big institutions act like a magnet which can keep learned people of the society in the society. This will control, to some extent, internal as well as external brain drain. Lacking of this, Bihar is depleted of its own skilled human resources as well as of their contributions. This effects development of Bihar reciprocally.

9. Establishment of IISER in Bihar is a big political decision. Many states are in the race for it and of course government will open limited number of IISERs. Unfortunately, this issue for Bihar has not gained serious political support and attention yet. If Bihar gets an IISER, it will be a milestone in the history of scientific developments in Bihar. I also let him know about my past applications and my very recent developments with BiharBrains (www.biharbrains.com) on this issue.The hon'ble minister went through every point and have discussed in details. He was surprised to know why this matter has not been raised yet despite there are many ministers from Bihar including MHRD. He gave very positive promise. He will talk with hon'ble PM on his return and said that he will bring an IISER in Bihar. He also talked about the opening of National Institute of Pharmaceutical education and Research at Hajipur. Of course that is a big gift to Bihar which would not have come without his effort. I hope hon'ble minister will not make us hopeless on the issue of IISER too.

Rlys to connect Lalu's village with his sasural

PATNA: The native villages of Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and his wife, former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, would soon be connected by train under a move to expand the rail network to hitherto untouched places. Prasad's village Phulwaria and that of his wife's- Salar Kalan- both fall under the Gopalganj district. The two "VIP" villages, which boast of a helipad, are now all set to figure on the railway map of the country, Railway sources said. "The track laying work is going on in full swing and it is expected to be completed by December this year," the sources said. Trains chugging along the Siwan-Hathua-Bhatni route would touch Prasad's native village and his 'sasural' under Banaras division under North Eastern Railway zone soon. A railway platform is coming up at Phulwaria. Work for laying the new tracks has been going on for sometime. But the project came into the news after some villagers cried foul over the Railways acquiring their land for the purpose. The Siwan-Hathua-Thawe-Kaptanganj route has been changed to link Phulwaria and Salar Kalan villages. In the changed route plan, trains would not touch Kaptangan and instead would be diverted from Hathua so that they touch Phulwaria and Salar Kalan. The sources claimed that the change of route was decided on the basis of track-population density to benefit more people by providing train services to hitherto untouched areas.

30,000 court cases settled in Bihar: CM

Over 30,000 cases pending in different courts in Bihar for years together have been settled in just about seven months, thanks to mobile courts. "This remarkable result has been achieved by taking the court itself to the people at their doorstep," Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said today. He was speaking at the All India Interdepartmental Cooperation Dialogue and Meeting on Social Justice here, inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Kumar noted with satisfaction that the Alternative Dispute Redressal Mechanism has worked well. "More such innovative steps are required to strengthen justice delivery system," he said. The Chief Minister said 'nyaya panchayats' had been set up at village level to deliver justice free of cost. He also said a national law university had been set up in Bihar within the shortest possible time and the academic session has already commenced. To promote literacy among the underprivileged, the Bihar government was in the process of appointing 2.36 lakh teachers at primary, middle and secondary levels. "We hope these appointments will be finalised in about two months," he said. Simultaneously, work was on for constructing 65,000 school buildings, he added.

Advance Booking Returns To Bihar With ´KANK´ ?

No doubt , BIHAR POLICE has controlled the BIHAR cottage INDUSTRY " CRIME " . This can be visible with a simple example of Advance Booking in PATNA movie theatres . last 15 years LALU forced the urbanites to sit at home and watch only TVs but now Patnaites are visible in lat night shows . Its a good sign .

The concept of advance booking had more or less dissappeared in the Indian state of Bihar . Mainly catering to Bhojpuri films of late , its capital Patna had last seen some advance booking for 'Raja Hindustani' , almost a decade back .

However , the good news is that for Karan Johar's 'Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna' ( released at four theatres of Patna - Ashok , Dalvi , Mona and Vaishali) , the advance booking counters were thrown open during the recent holidays , specially so on Independence Day .
Needless to add that it was the high demand for the tickets that led to the decision at a couple of the above mentioned theatres .
While on the movie in this less heard of circuit , 'KANK' may not be a runaway hit here but the distributors expect a decent distributors share of about 20 lakhs in the first week itself .

"Shashank" babu is New Chief Information Commissioner of Bihar

A retired judge of the Patna High Court Shashank Kumar Singh was on Thursday appointed Chief Information Commissioner of Bihar while Justice (retd) Ramnandan Prasad the Lokayukta.
Finance Commissioner PN Narayanan and Secretary Labour Department Shakeel Ahmad were appointed Information Commissioners, according to a notification issued by the Personnel department.
A three-member committee comprising Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi and the Leader of the Opposition Rabri Devi was entrusted with the task to appoint the Chief Information Commissioner for implementation of Right to Information Act in Bihar.

Path to "Blue Revolution" in Bihar : Fishermen will get training in AP

Patna: The Bihar government has drawn up a five-year scheme to make the state a supplier of fish. Currently, the state imports fish worth Rs 250 crore annually from Andhra Pradesh. As part of the programme, 1,000 fishermen from Bihar left on Thursday for specialised training for Andhra Pradesh in fish farming. They will be in Kakinada for a fortnight.Underlining the “tremendous” scope of fishery in making Bihar a developed state by 2015, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said his government would provide all aid to usher in a “blue revolution” in the state.The fishermen were given a warm send off by Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi, who holds the Animal Husbandry portfolio. Modi also advocated giving preference to those graduating in fishery for jobs in the fishery department.

Lalu mantra for IAS, IPS probationers soon

PATNA: Railway minister Lalu Prasad will be going to Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy for Administration in Mussoorie after the conclusion of the ongoing Parliament session to give lessons to IAS and IPS probationers. "I will tell them about the U-turn in the railways and where the savings were made and how to manage resources," said Lalu stressing that he will have an interactive session with the IAS and IPS probationers. Lalu said managing resources was an important part of financial administration. "These IAS and IPS officers at one time of their career will be asked to play a key role in managing their resources," he said expressing the hope that his own experience in handling the railways might prove to be useful for the new recruits to all-India services. The spectacular financial success of the Indian Railways during last financial year has prompted the railways to set a target Rs 20,000 crore as profit for the year 2007-08. This has also resulted in Lalu being acknowledged as the new 'Management Guru' with some leading management institutes requesting him to deliver lectures to their faculty and students alike. Lalu, on the other hand, hdd recently admitted that while his graph as a successful railway minister was going up, his political fortunes in his home state had taken a dip.

Bihar Cricket Association regains BCCI affiliation

The Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) has regained affiliation to the BCCI, after 6 years. This follows after BCA members created a ruckus this evening outside the BCCI working committee meet venue in Chennai threatening self-immolation if they were not granted affiliation to the Indian board.

The BCCI decided at its annual General Body meeting to merge the Bihar and Jharkhand Cricket Associations under the banner of the BCA, restoring the BCA’s affiliation to the BCCI which was revoked six years ago and given to Jharkhand, under former BCCI chief Jagmohan Dalmiya. Poor infrastructure had been cited as a reason for revoking Bihar's affiliate status.

Desperate measures

Earlier in the day high drama gripped Chennai after some members of the Bihar Cricket Association created a ruckus at the Taj Coromandel Hotel - the venue for the BCCI's Annual General Meeting in Chennai. The demonstrators demanded affiliate status for the state's cricket body, with some members even threatening self-immolation if their demand was not met. TIMES NOW’s Dinesh Chopra spoke with Mritunjaya Tiwari, one of the protesting members of the BCA. “The BCCI has virtually put a stop to cricket in Bihar in the past 6 years by taking away the BCA’s affiliation. Bihar’s cricketers have been treated unfairly. For four years we have to gone to BCCI meets in Patna, Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai and asked that cricket be restored to Bihar, every time they gave assurances but never followed through. Today if they do not take a decision, all 12 state players – some of them Ranji trophy players – have vowed to immolate themselves,” said Tiwari.

Lalu vs Pawar?

These members claimed to have the blessings of Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, who also heads the Bihar Cricket Association. Tiwari insisted, however, that their protest had no political agenda. “We are not associated with any politician. We are asking the BCCI for our rights. The BCCI spends the public’s money holding meetings in expensive hotels, it’s a shame that meanwhile Bihar’s cricketers are languishing,” said Tiwari.

An Awakening In Bihar

How one rural school helps prepare poor youths for the Indian Institutes of Technology .

Every April, some 230,000 Indian youths sharpen their pencils and sit for the intensely competitive entrance exam to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) -- the seven prestigious schools that train India's top-notch engineers and entrepreneurs. After the grueling six-hour test, only 5,000 students are offered a place in the IITs. Most come from middle-class backgrounds and prepare for the exams through private coaching. But in the past few years, a small group of desperately poor, talented students have made it into the IITs, thanks to the Ramanujan School of Mathematics.

The school, named after a famous Indian mathematician, is even more intense than the IITs themselves. Located in Patna, the capital of Bihar, one of India's least developed states, the Ramanujan School trains just 30 students a year to take the IIT exam. Anand Kumar, 33, a local mathematician, and Abhayanand, 52, Patna's deputy director general of police and a lover of physics, founded the school in 2003 to help promising locals get ahead in the caste-based society.They scoured Bihar's least privileged communities for 30 bright students to coach for the exam, providing free lessons and housing. They call their group the Super 30. "Intelligence is not birth-specific," says Abhayanand. In the first year, 16 of the group made it into the IITs. The next year, 22 made it. "This year," Kumar says confidently, "all 30 will get into the IITs."Santosh Kumar, 19 (no relation to Anand Kumar), is one of this year's Super 30, and his story is typical of his classmates. He's from Dumari, a village in the Bihata district, about 22 miles from Patna. Nearly all the village's 3,000 residents scratch out meager livings as farmers. Santosh's sister and three brothers studied up to 10th grade but then returned to the fields. "Studying further required money, so that was that," he says.

VILLAGE HERO

Santosh wanted more. His school had no roof, no doors, and no teachers half the time, but he borrowed books and tutored two young students for 70 cents a month. He also sold vegetables the family cultivated in a nearby market town. "I didn't even know which subjects I was good at, and I'd certainly never heard of IIT. No one had," he says. Then an eighth-grade teacher noticed his mathematical talent and encouraged him to study further.

Santosh saw that "education was the only way out of poverty," he says. At first, he planned to study so he could become an officer in the Indian civil service. After high school, he enrolled in the Patna College of Commerce, and then he heard about the IITs and the Super 30. "I went straightaway to Anand Kumar and told him: 'I dream of IIT, but I have no money.' He gave me his test, and I came second in the class. [He] let me into his Super 30 -- free," Santosh recalls.

For seven months, Santosh studied every morning for four hours, then sat down for a three-hour test in math, physics, and chemistry, and after a break studied three more hours. From six to nine in the evening, he attended a class in the same subjects and prepared for the next day's test until 2 a.m. His work paid off last spring, when he won a coveted seat at the IIT in Kharagpur, near Calcutta. (He ranked 3,537 out of the 5,000 students chosen.) Santosh now aims to earn a doctorate in chemistry and become an inventor. His hero is Abdul Kalam, India's current President and father of the nation's missile program. Just as important, Santosh is on track to be the first person from Dumari to graduate from university, making him a hero in the eyes of his village.

Where Gandhi became a Mahatma

Champaran: Mahatma Gandhi's unique idea of Satyagraha that kick started the national movement began in Bihar with the Champaran Neel Satyagraha.

Champaran was a district in north Bihar during the British rule where poor farmers were forced to grow indigo and other cash crops instead of the food crops necessary for their survival.

Suppressed by the ruthless militias of the landlords -- mostly British -- they lived in extreme poverty.

Raj Kumar Shukla drew the attention of Mahatma Gandhi towards the plight of the poor farmers. And in the fields where indigo was cultivated the first seeds of protest against the British were sown.

Those who participated in the Champaran Satyagraha have fond memories.

"Kahlan ki bataiye. Goan wale aur kishan ka kya dukh hai. Gaon wale kahe ki angrez saab aise aise karta hai. Bada hum log ko dukh hai tab kuch log kaha. Yaha baithiye, hum ko jane dijiye police hamare piche pada hai, humko giraftaar kaar lega. Yaha ate ate police pakad liya. Yahe se gadi se laad kaar jail le gaya (What can I tell about the suffering of the villegers and the farmers. They told us about the atrocities of the Britishers. Police was after me and as soon as I came here I was arrested and taken to the prison)," a villager Gopal Bhagat says.

But that was then and the farms have now become grazing grounds for cattle.

The British planters used to cultivate indigo in the fields where paddy and sugarcane fields now grow.


It was the exploitation, which brought Gandhi to Champaran. It was in Chandrahia village, where Mahatma Gandhi was served the notice to leave the district.

The Gandhi Memorial was built at the place only to be neglected later.

"Yahan kuchh log safai ke badle tande me mawashi bandhta he. Safai ke badle aur ganda ho jata he, aur idher mitti kaat ke leghaya aur isko bhar ne me 50 trailer mitti lage ga, yahan ki sampathi jo is ko sharm daan se bharna chahiye to aur 50 trailer mitti nikal le gaye," Ram Babu Yadav says.


The Sub Divisional Magistrate court of the British Empire, the court that passed the orders to convict Gandhi, for the first time in India stood where the memorial now stands.


"Yahan ka is asthan ka importance yahi he ki yahan history of court tha aur yahi court se faishla hua tha (This is a historic place as it was here that the court that sentenced Gandhiji stood)," secretary of Gandhi Sangrahalaya, Motihari Brajkishore Singh says.

There is a popular saying in Champaran: "Gandhi came here fully dressed and left in a loin cloth which was the face of Champaran impoverish peasantry and in the process he also gave voice to million of farmers being exploited by the indigo planters. The rest is history as Champaran become the turning point in India freedom struggle and Gandhi became Mahatma here".


One of Gandhi's first trysts with rural India was Champaran. It was here that the urban freedom fighter came face to face with the destitute peasant, with what he would later on call the real India.


SANTOSH PANDEY
SHANGHAI

Nitish Kumar vows to establish rule of law

Patna, Aug 15 (IANS) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, in his Independence Day speech, Tuesday said establishing the rule of law in the state was his government's top priority.
Kumar unfurled the national flag at the function, which was followed by an armed forces parade.
Kumar said that maintenance of law and order in the state was of utmost importance. "We want to create a new Bihar by establishing the rule of law and bringing about economic development."
He warned that troublemakers and law-breakers would not be spared by the authorities. He also outlined his government achievements in the last nine months and the future plans he has for the state.
Security has been intensified across the state in the wake of threats posed by terrorist groups. Additional deployments of Special Auxiliary Police (SAP) jawans, comprising former army men, were made in all key towns and vital installations in the state.
Inspector General of Police Anil Sinha said that personnel of the police anti-sabotage squad have been stationed at all religious places, government buildings, security installations and railway stations.
He added that a high alert has been sounded to thwart any attempts by terrorist outfits and Maoist rebels to disrupt I-Day celebrations.
Special security deployments have been made in Maoist-affected districts including Gaya, Jehanabad, Nalanda and Jamui. "This step was taken in view of the Maoists' decision to observe Aug 15 as a black day," said Sinha.

Chanakaya National Law University inaugurated in Patna

Patna, Aug 15: The Chanakaya National Law University was on Tuesday inaugurated at a function here attended by Bihar Governor R S Gavai and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The university, the first major institution created during the tenure of the eight-month-old NDA government, was an answer to those who claimed that nothing positive was possible in Bihar, Kumar said. The establishment of the law university, the ninth institution of its kind in the country, in a short period of three months was a pointer to "our commitment to make Bihar stand in the front row of the developed states". Gavai expressed the hope that the institution would produce sharp brains like the legendary Chanakaya. The Chief Justice of the Patna High Court and Chancellor of the University, J N Bhatt, hoped the institution would gain the status of a centre of excellence in the country. Former Union Minister and eminent lawyer Ravishankar Prasad, Advocate General P K Shahi and a host of judges of the high court were present on the occasion.

Neetu takes break from 'Traffic Signal' to do theatre

By Subhash K. Jha

A break in Madhur Bhandarkar's "Traffic Signal" had his leading lady Neetu Chandra scurrying to another medium to sharpen her acting skills.
"I joined a Hindi theatre group named Idea to make the best of the break. The director Mozaib Khan has been doing theatre for more than 25 years. He directed 23 plays for the Munshi Premchand Festival, which was held from July 31 to Aug 4 at Ravindra Bhavan. I was in four of these Premchand plays," Neetu told IANS.
Neetu has been involved with Idea for nearly two months.
"We've staged reality plays on AIDS, drugs and the recent Mumbai blasts as well as the Premchand plays. I always wanted to act in theatre. I used to read a lot of plays. But this was my first chance to go on stage.
"I think I'm making good use of the break in the 'Traffic Signal' schedule. I'm not taking on any other film until 'Traffic Signal' releases."
Neetu leads a disciplined life.
"I'm totally into a regimented life that includes yoga in the morning and theatre rehearsals in the evening. God has given me one body, one life and one opportunity to make something of my life."
Neetu is exceptionally excited about her role in "Traffic Signal" and did extensive research to do justice to her character in the film.
"I play a Kathiawadi vendor who sells embroidery and mirror work on the street. I actually sat on the footpath for 12 days in front of the Santa Cruz police station and made friends with these street-smart women. I blended with them and asked them to teach me their craft. There're advantages to being an unknown face. I could blend with them without being recognised."
She has a romantic angle with Kunal Khemu in the film, but Neetu is cautious in her response.
"He's involved with many other films. For me 'Traffic Signal' is the only assignment on hand. We shared a good professional rapport. I was too busy trying to follow instructions from my director Madhur-ji to pay attention to anyone else. In most parts of the film, Kunal tries to bully me because that's what he plays."
All her hopes are pinned on "Traffic Signal".
"After 'Garam Masala' I could've vanished. God has given me one more chance. Not bad for a girl from Bihar who had no Bollywood connections.
"Fortunately, people here have been helpful. But I wonder what would've happened to me if Madhur-ji hadn't discovered me. Sometimes I'd wake up in the night in a panic thinking my career had come to a dead end even before it started. My mother's hand would always be there to calm me down. She's my only friend

Highway authority lines up Rs 6495 cr for Bihar roads

The National Highway Development Authority proposes to four-lane 890 km of highway in Bihar at a cost of Rs 6,495 crore on either a build-operate-transfer (BOT) or annuity basis.

This was communicated to a delegation of MPs and central ministers from Bihar who met T R Baalu, Union minister for shipping and road transport, here on Thursday.

The leaders from Bihar were told that of 206 km of the Golden Quadrilateral project falling in Bihar, 190 km was completed on July 31 this year.

The remaining 16 km is expected to be completed by the year-end.

It was also brought out that four contract packages have already been awarded for the stretches of the 160 km of East-West Corridor. The total cost of this project would be Rs 1,251 crore.

Five lakh Biharis in Surat and one bi-weekly train

Migrant workers say during Diwali rush, they’ve no place to even sit in train; demand one more train from Lalu Prasad .

Surat, August 9: UNION Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav may have favoured his home state Bihar by introducing new trains, but he has done little to woo the five lakh Biharis settled in Surat. The reason: There are no trains running between Bihar and Surat except the Bhagalpur-Surat Express which runs only twice a week.
‘‘The major problem faced by the Biharis here is the lack of transportation between Surat and Patna,’’ said K K Sharma, President of the Bihar Vikas Parishad. ‘‘We were excited that being the Railway Minister Laloo would do something for us. But it seems he doesn’t care for such a large population of Biharis settled in Surat,’’ said Sharma.
According to Sharma, a large population of Biharis—about four lakh—are employed in the powerloom industry while the rest are employed in the government offices and other businesses. It’s during Diwali vacation that thousands of Biharis travel to their home towns in Bihar to celebrate the festival with their family members. But since there is only one train between Surat and Patna and that too twice a week, they (textile workers) are facing a lot of difficulties. Vice-president of the BVP, Sunil Mishra said, ‘‘The plight of the Biharis travelling in the Bhagalpur-Surat Express during the Diwali vacation is quite disturbing. There are no berths to sit and the coaches are full.’’
The office-bearers of the BVP have represented the issue time and again to the railway ministry and the General Manager of the Western Railways for introducing a new train between Surat and Gaya to be known as Buddha Express. But nothing has been done so far. Therefore, the office-bearers are planning to call upon Laloo Prasad to represent the issues faced by the Biharis settled in Surat on August 7. Sharma said, ‘‘We demand a new train between Surat and Gaya and that the frequency of the Bhagalpur-Surat Express be increased from twice a day to daily.’’
Shailesh Mishra, a textile worker in Pandesara, said, ‘‘There should be more trains toward Bihar. We travel to Bihar only once a year and we are never sure whether we would get a berth or not.’’ Another textile worker, Ramvilas Yadav said, ‘‘It’s quite obvious why Laloo would not listen to the demands as he doesn’t want to work anymore for the Biharis after he lost the recent assembly elections.’’

Pvt schools told to keep seats for poor

PATNA -- With the Common School System (CSS) approved by the state cabinet, private schools in Bihar applying for a Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) accreditation will now have to reserve 25 per cent of the seats for poor students.
In a landmark decision, the government has introduced the system of making private schools available to students who cannot afford to pay. A source said, "Already 25 schools have agreed to this clause. We will make their names public next week. We hope to make all private schools realise their social obligation and provide free education to poor students." Even though the draft Right to Education Bill has dropped the clause making it compulsory for private schools to keep 25 per cent of the seats free, the state government is sure of getting private schools to contribute. Among the many tasks of the three-member commission, headed by former foreign secretary Muchkund Dubey formed to implement the CSS, the foremost is to recommend ways and means to give effect to right to education under Article 21 (A) of the Constitution. "Right to education became a fundamental right in December 2002. According to its spirit, there should not be two sets of rights, one for poor students and another for rich students. Just as all citizens go to the same kind of polling booth to cast their vote and the same police station to register a complaint children, irrespective of their financial background, should have access to the same type of education," an official said. Human resource development secretary and education commissioner M M Jha said, the CSS would strive towards a neighbourhood school concept which is prevalent in many developed countries and even in China. "These schools will be equipped with basic facilities and will give all children quality education," he said and added that government schools would be upgraded so that the quality of teaching is on the par with that in private schools. Explaining the implications of not having CSS, an official said: "The existing system of education seems to be impacting the quality of governance and growth of corruption. The seeds of superiority, hierarchy and insensitivity against people are sown at a very early age in the existing school system in India."

Bihar will be a developed State by 2015, promises Nitish

Resolving to make Bihar a "developed state" by 2015, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday said the NDA Government was committed to making life better for people living below the poverty line.
Speaking at a function organised by the All India Freedom Fighters' Association on the occasion of the 64th anniversary of the "Quit India Movement", Kumar said efforts were being made to make India "a developed nation" by 2020, 'but Bihar will be able to attain the status of a developed State five years ahead of it".
Regretting the Opposition allegation of non-development, he asked the leaders of Oppostion parties to go through tenders being advertised everyday in newspapers for development projects.
"We will start the development work on a war-footing after the rainy season," he asserted.
Saying that half of the population in the State lived below the poverty line, Kumar admitted that most of the villages still did not have metalled roads, electricity and sufficient drinking water. "We have taken up the challenge and we will get all these civic problems solved very soon," he claimed.
Asserting that there was a marked improvement in the law and order situation in Bihar, Chief Minister said, "The rule of law is visible in the state now."
The meeting adopted a resolution seeking to declare families of freedom fighters as 'family of nation' in recognition of their contribution to freedom.

Muchkund Dubey to head Bihar Education Panel

Former Foreign Secretary, Muchkund Dubey, will head a three-member Commission that will suggest ways to end discrimination at school-level education and provide equitable quality education to students from all strata of society in Bihar.
The State Cabinet has given its approval to the proposal for constitution of the Common School System Commission, the first in the country, to be headed by Dubey, Bihar's Human Resource Secretary, Madan Mohan Jha, who along with eminent educationist, Prof. Anil Sadagopal, are other two members of the panel, said on Tuesday.
The Commission would submit its report to the government within nine months, Jha said.
The recommendations of the Education Commission of 1966, which included the concept of 'neighbourhood schools' for equitable quality education to all school children, would form the basis of the task assigned to the new Commission.
The Commission will formulate a detailed action plan and examine the financial implications of introducing the common school system. It would also go into ways to ensure 100 per cent compliance of the children's right to free and compulsory education from the age of six to 14 years under Article 21-A of the Constitution, he said.

111 investment proposals received in Bihar, 25 okayed

Patna, Aug 08: Bihar government has got a total of 111 proposals from investors, of which, 25 have been approved, State Industry Minister Gautam Singh said on Tuesday. Replying to a short notice question of RJD's Bhim Singh, Minister of State for Industries (Independent Charge) Gautam Singh told the legislative council that the state government was receiving an encouraging response from investors in the country and from abroad. Of the total 111 investment proposals received so far, the state industrial board has approved 25 of them, the minister said. He, however, did not divulge the names of the investors or the fields they evinced interest in. The Industry Minister claimed the Nitish Kumar government's new industrial promotion policy for the current fiscal has been well received. In reply to another question by the same MLC, the minister said three food park projects, in partnership with the Centre, have been okayed at Hajipur, Udakishunganj (Madhepura) and Begusarai. Land acquirement for the project at Hajipur was underway, the minister said, adding the process at the two other venues would begin afterwards.

Bihar sets up commission to introduce uniform education

Patna, Aug 8 (IANS) Bihar has taken the lead in starting the process of adopting a uniform educational system and has constituted a Common School System (CSS) Commission to look into its long-term implementation.
The three-member commission is to submit a report within nine months and will focus on ways to introduce the Common School System (CCS) that aims at providing uniform education without discrimination based on one's economic condition to all boys and girls of state.
"No other state has constituted a CSS commission till date and it is the first concrete step to achieve the goal of education for all," said State Human Resources Minister Brishen Patel Tuesday.
He said that the nine-month-old Nitish Kumar government was keen to start the CSS in the state as early as possible. "We would be the first to introduce CSS also," he claimed.
The three-member commission comprising former foreign secretary Muchkund Dubey, Anil Sadgopal of Delhi University and M.M. Jha, secretary/commissioner of Human Resource Development, Bihar.
They will prepare a detailed action plan to give shape to the CSS and its financial implications, official sources in the education department said. "They would also fix the norms and standards to ensure education for all," said an official.
The terms of reference of the commission would be the recommendations of the Education Commission (1966) that coined the concept of neighbourhood schools for equitable quality education to all children.
The CSS was also approved by the National Education Policy 1966, 1986 and the amended policy of 1992.
Once CSS is implemented, it would regulate all schools - government and private - without compromising their autonomy, diversity and flexibility.
According to official records, Bihar's literacy rate stands at 47.53 percent.
The socio-economically backward and impoverished Bihar has the highest school dropout rates in the country, with over 80 percent of girls dropping out from classes 1-10.

Industry needs level-playing field: BIA

PATNA: Bihar's new industrial policy has galvanised the Bihar Industries Association (BIA) into action. So much so that a BIA delegation had called on the industrial development commissioner (IDC) on July 26 to offer its suggestions for rehabilitation of the sick industries. Speaking to mediapersons here on Friday, BIA president KPS Keshri said that the real challenge before the state government is to rehabilitate 26 per cent of the sick industrial units and revive the viable ones out of the 54 per cent industrial units that are lying closed. The BIA has urged the government to provide a level-playing field to the local industries in terms of giving priority to their products. It also sought an amendment to the Stores Purchase Act, 2002 in the larger interest of local industries. Stressing the need for state's own store purchase preference policy, Keshri pointed out that in other states, about 60-100 per cent of the products manufactured by indigenous industries are purchased by the respective governments. While the Jharkhand government purchases 75 per cent of the local products, the figure is 100 per cent in Assam. Other vital demands of the BIA include setting up of an expressway to link Bihar's industrial centres with sea ports in West Bengal or Orissa for transportation of export items. In fact, Bihar urgently requires connectivity with sea ports like the one at Haldia in West Bengal or any other major port in Orissa. Creation of a dry port in Bihar is imperative and Fatuha is the most ideal place even in the eyes of the state government, Keshri said. Even CM Nitish Kumar had recently apprised the Planning Commission of the state government's requirement in this regard, Keshri said. Hailing waiver of minimum guarantee charged for supply of electricity to the industries, the BIA has urged the government to waive off compound interest and penal interest against loans taken by the sick industries from the Bihar State Finance Commission, Bihar Credit and Investment Corporation (BICICO) and other agencies of the state government. Keshri said that the BIA had launched an intensive campaign for identifying sick industries in Muzaffarpur so that they could be revived. He said that the new industrial policy lacks the essence of a "competitive policy", vis-a-vis providing capital subsidy to the industry. He, however, regretted that the BIA's demand in this regard had not been included in the new policy. Keshri defended the decision of the Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority to sell the building and land belonging to the Patna Industrial Area Development Authority at Pataliputra Industrial Estate to film-maker Prakash Jha for constructing a multiplex. In fact, the industrial policy adopted by the state government in 2003 had envisaged industry status for the entertainment sector, Keshri said. "The state needs investment and not controversy," he remarked.

Bhojpuria.com awarded as India`s best eCulture website

Yes, its true, your very own Bhojpuria.com received the prestigious Manthan Award as the India’s best eCulture website on 5th August, 2006 at NCUI Auditorium, New Delhi. The Award is given every year in 14 different categories by Digital Empowerment Foundation.Dr R Mashelkar, Director-General, CSIR and Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research presented the Award to Sudhir Kumar (Director, Bhojpuria.com) and Shashi Singh (Editor-in-Chief, Bhojpuria.com) on behalf of Bhojpuria.com

"First of all, I would like to thank Digital Empowerment Foundation and Manthan Awards team for this Award. This Award is an honour for over 34 crore Bhojpuri Speaking people across the Globe. Bhojpuri, a language of masses, is yet to be recognized by the Government of India. I don’t know, when they will add it to the 8th schedule of Indian constitution and what they are waiting for? At least, Manthan awards team and the Jury recognized the importance of Bhojpuri, thanks once again", Sudhir Kumar (Director, Bhojpuria.com) said just after receiving the award. American India Foundation, Unisef, Centre for e-Governance (Govt. of India), Uttaranchal Government, Dataquest were among the partners for Manthan Awards. The Manthan Awards are a part of World Summit Awards. The Jury included the top names from Indian Press, IT and Communication industry including Frederick Noronha (Freelance Journalist), Vinnie Mehta (Director, Association of Information technology), Tanmoy Chakrabarty (VP, Tata Consultancy Services), Dr. Subho Ray (President, Internet and Mobile Association of India), Sajan Venniyoor (Doordarshan & Prasar Bharati), Ravi Gupta (Editor, i4D magazine), Rufina Fernandes (CEO, Nasscom Foundation), Hareesh Belawadi (Director, ASCENT), Dr. Reuben Samuel (World Health Organisation), Shubhendu Parth (Associate Editor, Dataquest magazine), Ravi Gulati (Director, Manzil), Prof. Ashok Jhunjunwala(Professor, IIT Madras), Prof. Anil Gupta (Professor, IIM Ahmedabad & Vice Chairman, National Innovative Foundation), Ashis Sanyal (Director E-Gov, DIT) and several others. As a winner of the Manthan Awards, Bhojpuria.com has now been automatically nominated for the prestigious World Summit Awards to be held next year in Geneva.

Cop comes with noble idea to check crime

Ara (Bihar), Aug. 6 (PTI): After successfully trying it in Karnataka, an IPS officer Umesh Kumar, at present Superintendent of Police of Bhojpur district, wants to implement his plan to check crime against women, killing of girl child and help educated youth leave the extremist path in the district.
Kumar, who came to Bihar on deputation, told PTI today that he would like to create a 'special cell' of two respected local professors, as many social workers and policewomen.
The cell would try to solve the problem through counselling and, if needed, stern legal action would be initiated against the perpetrator of crime on women, the SP said.
He said in a bid to discourage the practice of female foeticide, the family where a girl child is born would be provided Rs 2000 from the department sources.
To discourage educated youths from joining Naxalite outfits out of frustration of unemployment, he said he would help youths give up arms and join the mainstream.
The SP claimed he had successfully tried the experiment while working as Police Superintendent of Chitradurga district of Karnataka before coming to Bihar.

Bihari "IRFAN ALAM" is BUSINESS BAZIGAR of the Year

I met this Young gentleman on the train to bihar on 29th october, 2005 where i was not having reservation in sleeper class and this Young Gentle man shared his seat with me and discussed his innovative product and ideas along with support he was geting from another Bihari IIM _ A faculty Dr Piyush Sinha . Even today , after getting the PRIZE of Rs 1 Crore , he remember his mentor Dr Piyush Sinha . IRFAN belongs to HATIDAH , Near MOKAMAh & BARH .

Mumbai, Aug 05: The popular television reality show `Business Baazigar', hosted by Zee TV, came to an end on Saturday with Delhi resident Irfan Alam bagging the crown for his innovative idea of turning around a rickshaw into a luxury vehicle. Twenty-five-year-old Alam, an MBA from Pondicherry, has also been selected for `Mini Baazigar' award prior to his crowning as `Business Baazigar' and was given Rs 20 lakh for his ongoing project, aimed to provide facilities like soft drink, news paper and first aid in a rickshaw. Business Baazigar, which searched for people with innovative business ideas, saw around two lakh entries from across the country, Zee TV officials said. The candidates from all walks of life aiming for an individual funding of their business dream, were then shortlisted to 50. Twenty participants were selected for the final round and eventually scaled down to two finalists -- Puneet and Ali Ismail -- but the eventual winner Alam was brought in by the jury at the last moment. The jury included Zee Telefilms Chairman Subhash Chandra, Passion Fund's CEO Mahesh Murthy and IIM Ahmedabad professor Anil Gupta. The final episode of the show was attended by prominent personalities including the Union Commerce Minister Kamal Nath and Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel along with Rajashri Birla of Aditya Birla Group, Essar chief Shashi Ruia, Raymond's Vijaypati Singhania, Big Bazzar' Kishor Biyani and Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal. During the series -- begun on March 31 and was aired on Fridays and Saturdays -- the jury was impressed with Alam's entrepreneurial skills and his boldness in taking up the challenge thrown on him by them, Zee TV said. The Delhiite has also claimed to have impressed upon the the state Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit with his innovative idea, the television channel said. During the event the jury awarded three contestants, including Irfan, Mini Baazigars. The other two were Anju Purohit and Prakash Mundhra. Mundhra's idea was to make branded `Pooja' kits by assembling various pooja items and make them available at supermarkets. Supermarket chain Big Bazzar has already placed orders for 10,000 kits from him, the channel said. A contestant from Goa, Rajesh Ghadge, who couldn't make it to the final rounds, got one lakh paper-bag order from big Bazzar, Zee TV said.

Bihar legislature session from today

PATNA: The five-day monsoon session of both Houses of state legislature will begin on Friday. The Opposition is likely to launch a blistering attack on the nine-month-old Nitish Kumar government. Leader of Opposition Rabri Devi was all fire and brimstone on the eve of the assembly session with the RJD planning to unite all the Opposition parties to forge a common strategy to put the government in the dock on various issues. Stating that the government had failed on all the fronts, Rabri said she had invited leaders of all Opposition parties such as Congress, CPI(ML), CPM and CPI to her official chamber on Friday to chalk out a common strategy to take on the government. Rabri said her party would try to put the government in the dock for its proposal to appoint teachers on contract. It will also press for regular appointment of teachers in primary and secondary schools besides regularisation of jobs of 'shiksha mitras'. The short session might be extended if necessary. CM Nitish Kumar said the programme was chalked out as per the business. If more business are included the presiding officers of the two Houses can extend the session, he added. Reacting to the attacking mood of the Opposition, parliamentary affairs minister Ramshray Prasad Singh said the government was ready to give a befitting reply to the Opposition in the legislature on any issue. The legislative council and the assembly each will have five sittings. On the opening day after the remarks of the presiding officers, ordinances would be laid on the table and second supplementary budget of 2006-07 will also be presented.