• Source:JND
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In a significant push to achieve its ambitious target of providing employment to one crore youth over the next five years (2025–30), the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar cabinet on Tuesday approved the creation of three new government departments. The decision was part of 19 agendas cleared during the cabinet meeting, which also included a hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) and the renaming of several existing departments.

Targeting 1 Crore Jobs

New Departments Formed: Additional Chief Secretary (Cabinet Secretariat) Arvind Kumar Chaudhary briefed reporters that the total number of government departments has now increased from 45 to 48. The three newly created departments are:

Department Of Youth, Employment & Skill Development: Created to ensure all-round youth development by equipping them with skills to access employment opportunities.

Department Of Higher Education: Tasked with providing quality higher education in the state.

Department Of Civil Aviation: Formed by detaching the Civil Aviation Directorate to manage the expanding aviation sector and improve air travel infrastructure.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had previously announced on December 5 that training and quality technical education are prerequisites for meeting the 2025–30 employment goals.

Renaming Of Major Departments

The cabinet also approved the renaming of three existing departments to better reflect their expanded mandates:

Animal and Fisheries Resources Department is now the Dairy, Fisheries, and Animal Resources Department.

Labour Resources Department will be known as the Labour Resources and Migrant Workers Welfare Department.

Department of Art, Culture, and Youth has been renamed the Art and Culture Department (with youth affairs moving to the new department).

DA Hike For Employees And Pensioners

The cabinet approved a hike in Dearness Allowance effective from July 1, 2025:

6th Pay Commission: A 5 per cent hike for employees and pensioners, taking the DA from 252 per cent to 257 per cent.

5th Pay Commission: An 8 per cent hike was approved, increasing the DA from 466 percent to 474 per cent.

Administrative Reforms: MSME And Mines

MSME Push: The "Directorate of Technical Development" under the Industries Department has been renamed the Directorate of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprise (MSME) to make the sector globally competitive.

Mines And Geology: The directorate has been reconstituted into two separate entities: the Directorate of Mines and the Directorate of Investigation.

The Directorate of Mines is further divided into the Deputy Directorate of Mines and the Deputy Directorate of Security to speed up investigations.

Internal Security And Civil Defence

The cabinet declared Gaya Ji and Munger as "Civil Defence Districts" to handle strategic internal security and disaster management more effectively. Fourteen new posts have been created for this purpose.

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Key Financial And Welfare Decisions

Power Dues: Rs 400 crore was sanctioned to clear electricity dues owed by urban local bodies to North and South Bihar Power Distribution Companies for FY 2025-26.

Tiger Reserve And Zoo: A corpus fund of Rs 15 crore was approved for the Valmikinagar Tiger Reserve Foundation, and the constitution of the "Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park Management and Development Society" was cleared to oversee the Patna zoo.

Social Welfare: The Bihar Deed Writers License (Amendment) Rules 2025 were approved, making leprosy-affected persons eligible to obtain licenses as deed writers, aiding their financial inclusion.

Compassionate Appointment: The cabinet approved the appointment of MohdImdad Raza, son of BSF Sub-Inspector Mohd Imtiaz, who was martyred during Operation Sindoor.

Digital Governance And Skilling

New Legal Rules: The cabinet gave the nod to the Bihar Electronic Order Rules 2025 (for e-summons) and the Bihar E-Evidence Management Rules 2025, which focus on managing digital evidence and video conferencing under the BharatiyaNagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

Skilling MoUs: MoUs were approved with the National Stock Exchange (NSE) to run a 'Student Skilling Programme' and with the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) for assistance in state projects.

Also Read: Noida Crime: 19-Year-Old Factory Worker Ends Life Over Death Threats; Two Detained

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