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>Toddy1
correction of spelling error in "Edward Maynard Des Champs Chamier"
 
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{{infobox government
{{infobox government
| government_name  = Government of Bihar
| government_name  = Government of Bihar
| image            = [[File:Seal of Bihar.svg|150px]]
| image            = File:Seal of Bihar.svg
| image_size        = 200px
| caption          =
| division_type    = [[Seat of government|Seat of Government]]
| division_type    = [[Seat of government|Seat of Government]]
| division          = [[Patna]]
| division          = [[Patna]]
| leader_type      = [[Governor (India)|Governor]]
| leader_type      = [[Governor of Bihar|Governor]]<br>(Head of the State)
| leader_title      = [[Phagu Chauhan]]
| leader_title      = [[Syed Ata Hasnain]]
| leader_type2      = [[Chief minister (India)|Chief Minister]]
| leader_type2      = [[Chief Minister of Bihar|Chief Minister]]<br>(Head of Government)
| leader_title2    = [[Nitish Kumar]]
| leader_title2    = [[Nitish Kumar]],  {{Party index link|Janata Dal (United) }}
| leader_type3      = [[List of current Indian deputy chief ministers|Deputy Chief Minister]]
| leader_type3      = [[Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar|Deputy Chief Minister]]<br>(Deputy Head of Government)
| leader_title3    = * [[Renu Devi]]<br />
| leader_title3    = [[Vijay Kumar Sinha]],  {{Party index link|Bharatiya Janata Party}} <br />[[Samrat Choudhary]], {{Party index link|Bharatiya Janta Party}}
* [[Tarkishore Prasad]]
| legislature_label = [[State legislative assemblies of India|Assembly]]
| legislature_label = [[State legislative assemblies of India|Assembly]]
| legislature      = {{ubl|[[Bihar Legislative Assembly]]|}}
| legislature      = {{ubl|[[Bihar Legislative Assembly]]|}}
| speaker_label    = [[List of current Indian legislative speakers and chairmen|Speaker]]
| speaker_label    = [[List of speakers of the Bihar Legislative Assembly|Speaker of the House]]
| speaker          = [[Vijay Kumar Sinha]]
| speaker          = [[Nand Kishore Yadav]]<ref>{{cite web |title=BJP's Nand Kishore Yadav elected unopposed as Bihar Assembly Speaker |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/india/bihar/bjps-nand-kishore-yadav-elected-unopposed-as-bihar-assembly-speaker-2895649 |website=Deccan Herald |access-date=15 February 2024 |language=en}}</ref>
| deputy_speaker_label = [[Speaker (politics)|Deputy Speaker]]
| deputy_speaker_label = [[List of speakers of the Bihar Legislative Assembly|Deputy Speaker of the House]]
| deputy_speaker    = [[Maheshwar Hazari]]
| deputy_speaker    = [[Narendra Narayan Yadav]]<ref>{{cite web |title=JD(U)'s Narendra Narayan Yadav elected unopposed as Bihar assembly deputy speaker |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/patna/jdus-narendra-narayan-yadav-bihar-assembly-deputy-speaker-9176762/lite/ |website=The Indian Express |access-date=23 February 2024 |language=en |date=23 February 2024}}</ref>
| members_in_assembly_label = [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|Members in Assembly]]
| members_in_assembly_label = [[Bihar Vidhan Sabha|Members in Assembly]]
| members_in_assembly = 243
| members_in_assembly = 243
| legislative_council_label = [[State legislative councils of India|Council]]
| legislative_council_label = [[State legislative councils of India|Council]]
| legislative_council  = [[Bihar Legislative Council]]
| legislative_council  = [[Bihar Legislative Council]]
| chairman_label    = [[List of current Indian legislative speakers and chairmen|Chairman]]
| chairman_label    = [[List of chairpersons of the Bihar Legislative Council|Chairperson of Council]]
| chairman          = [[Vacant]]
| chairman          = [[Awadhesh Narain Singh]]
| deputy_chairman    = [[Awadhesh Narain Singh]]
| deputy_chairman    =
| members_in_council_label  = [[Member of the Legislative Council (India)|Members in Council]]
| members_in_council_label  = [[Bihar Vidhan Parishad|Members in Council]]
| leader_type4          = [[Chief Secretary (India)|Chief Secretary]]<br>(Head of Civil Service)
| leader_title4          = Pratyaya Amrit, ([[Indian Administrative Service|IAS]])
| members_in_council = 75 <small>(63 Elected + 12 Nominated)</small>
| members_in_council = 75 <small>(63 Elected + 12 Nominated)</small>
| branch4            = [[Judiciary of India|Judiciary]]
| branch4            = [[Judiciary of India|Judiciary]]
| court_name         = [[High courts of India|High Court]]
| government_form    = [[Bicameralism|Bicameral]]
| court             = [[Patna High Court]]
| country            = {{flag|India}}
<!--|leader_type5 = [[List of leaders of the opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly|Leader of the Opposition]]
|leader_title5 = [[Tejashwi Yadav]], [[File:Indian Election Symbol Hurricane Lamp.png|20px]] {{Party index link|Rashtriya Janata Dal}}-->
| court_name       = [[High courts of India|High Court]]
| court             = [[Patna High Court]]
| chief_justice_label = [[List of current Indian chief justices|Chief Justice]]
| chief_justice_label = [[List of current Indian chief justices|Chief Justice]]
| chief_justice     = Justice [[Sanjay Karol]]
| chief_justice     = Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo
| extra_courts_label = [[District courts of India|District Courts]]
| seat              = 53
| extra_courts      = 37
| image4            =
| website          = {{URL|https://state.bihar.gov.in}}
}}
}}
{{Politics of Bihar}}


The '''Government of Bihar''', known locally as the State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the [[States and territories of India|Indian state]] of [[Bihar]] and its 9 [[Divisions of Bihar|divisions]] which consist of [[Districts of Bihar|38 districts]] . It consists of an executive, led by the [[Governor of Bihar]], a [[Administration in Bihar#Judiciary|judiciary]] and [[Administration in Bihar#Legislature|legislative branches]].
The '''Government of Bihar''' is the [[State governments of India|state government]] of the [[States and territories of India|Indian state]] of [[Bihar]] and its nine [[Divisions of Bihar|divisions]] which consist of [[Districts of Bihar|districts]]. It consists of an executive, led by the [[Governor of Bihar]], a [[Administration in Bihar#Judiciary|judiciary]] and [[Administration in Bihar#Legislature|legislative branches]].


Like other [[States and territories of India|states in India]], the head of state of Bihar is the [[Governor]], appointed by the [[President of India]] on the advice of the [[Government of India|central government]]. His or her post is largely ceremonial. The [[Chief Minister]] is the head of government and is vested with most of the executive powers. [[Patna]] is the [[Capital (political)|capital]] of Bihar.
Like other [[States and territories of India|states in India]], the head of state of Bihar is the [[Governor]], appointed by the [[President of India]] on the advice of the [[Government of India|central government]]. The head of state is largely ceremonial. The [[Chief Minister]] is the head of government and is vested with most of the executive powers. [[Patna]] is the [[Capital (political)|capital]] of Bihar hence, it serves as the headquarter for almost all the departments.


The [[Patna High Court]], located in Patna, has jurisdiction over the whole state. The present legislative structure of Bihar is [[bicameral]]. The [[Legislative]] houses are the [[Bihar Vidhan Sabha]] ([[Bihar Legislative Assembly]]) and [[Bihar Vidhan Parishad]] ([[Bihar Legislative Council]]). Their normal term is five years, unless dissolved earlier.
The [[Patna High Court]], located in Patna, has jurisdiction over the whole state. The present legislative structure of Bihar is [[bicameral]]. The [[Legislative]] houses are the [[Bihar Vidhan Sabha]] ([[Bihar Legislative Assembly]]) and [[Bihar Vidhan Parishad]] ([[Bihar Legislative Council]]). Their normal term is five years, unless dissolved earlier.
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{{Main|Governor of Bihar}}
{{Main|Governor of Bihar}}
{{See also|Governor (India)}}
{{See also|Governor (India)}}
The '''Governors''' of the [[states of India]] have similar powers and functions at the state level as those of the [[President of India]] at Union level. Governors exist in the [[States of India|states]] while lieutenant governors or administrator exist in [[union territories]]. According to the [[Constitution of India]], the [[Governor (India)|Governor]] is a state's head, but ''[[de facto]]'' executive authority rests with the chief minister. The governor acts as the nominal head whereas the real power lies with the [[Chief Ministers of India|Chief ministers of the states]]{{citation needed|date=March 2021}} and his/her councils of ministers. The Governor of a State is appointed by the President of India. The factors based on which the President evaluates the candidates is not mentioned in the Constitution. <ref>{{cite web|title=article 155, Constitution of India|url=https://legislative.gov.in/sites/default/files/COI_1.pdf}}</ref> In his ex-officio capacity, the Governor of Bihar is Chancellor of the universities of Bihar (at present 12) as per the Acts of the Universities.
The '''Governors''' of the [[states of India]] have similar powers and functions at the state level as those of the [[President of India]] at Union level. Governors exist in the [[States of India|states]] while lieutenant governors or administrator exist in [[union territories]]. According to the [[Constitution of India]], the [[Governor (India)|Governor]] is a state's head, but ''[[de facto]]'' executive authority rests with the chief minister. The governor acts as the nominal head whereas the real power lies with the [[Chief Ministers of India|Chief ministers of the states]]{{citation needed|date=March 2021}} and his/her councils of ministers. The Governor of a State is appointed by the President of India. The factors based on which the President evaluates the candidates is not mentioned in the Constitution.<ref>{{cite web|title=article 155, Constitution of India|url=https://legislative.gov.in/sites/default/files/COI_1.pdf}}</ref> In his ex-officio capacity, the Governor of Bihar is Chancellor of the universities of Bihar (at present 12) as per the Acts of the Universities.


=== Chief Minister ===
=== Chief Minister ===
{{Main|Chief Minister of Bihar}}
{{Main|Chief Minister of Bihar}}
{{See also|Chief minister (India)}}
{{See also|Chief minister (India)}}
In the [[Republic of India]], a '''chief minister''' is the elected [[head of government]] of the each state out of 28<ref>{{cite web|title=States and Union Territories|url=https://knowindia.gov.in/states-uts/|website=knowindia.gov.in}}</ref> states and sometimes a union territory (currently, only the UTs of [[Delhi]] and [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]] have serving Chief Ministers). Following elections to the [[Bihar Legislative Assembly]], the governor usually invites the party (or coalition) with a majority of seats to form the government. The governor appoints the chief minister, whose [[Cabinet (government)|council of ministers]] are [[Cabinet collective responsibility|collectively responsible]] to the assembly. Given that he has the confidence of the assembly, the chief minister's term is for five years and is subject to no [[Term limit|term limits]].<ref name="term1">[[Durga Das Basu]]. ''Introduction to the Constitution of India''. 1960. 20th Edition, 2011 Reprint. pp. 241, 245. LexisNexis Butterworths Wadhwa Nagpur. {{ISBN|978-81-8038-559-9}}. Note: although the text talks about Indian state governments in general, it applies for the specific case of Bihar as well.</ref>  
In the [[Republic of India]], a '''chief minister''' is the elected [[head of government]] of the each state out of 28<ref>{{cite web|title=States and Union Territories|url=https://knowindia.gov.in/states-uts/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818054533/http://knowindia.gov.in/states-uts/|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 18, 2017|website=knowindia.gov.in}}</ref> states and sometimes a union territory (currently, only the UTs of [[Delhi]] and [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]] have serving Chief Ministers). Following elections to the [[Bihar Legislative Assembly]], the governor usually invites the party (or coalition) with a majority of seats to form the government. The governor appoints the chief minister, whose [[Cabinet (government)|council of ministers]] are [[Cabinet collective responsibility|collectively responsible]] to the assembly. Given that he has the confidence of the assembly, the chief minister's term is for five years and is subject to no [[term limit]]s.<ref name="term1">[[Durga Das Basu]]. ''Introduction to the Constitution of India''. 1960. 20th Edition, 2011 Reprint. pp. 241, 245. LexisNexis Butterworths Wadhwa Nagpur. {{ISBN|978-81-8038-559-9}}. Note: although the text talks about Indian state governments in general, it applies for the specific case of Bihar as well.</ref>


In 1946 First Cabinet of Bihar formed; consisting<ref>{{cite web|author=S Shankar|title=The Sri Babu-Anugrah babu government|url=http://www.indiarightsonline.com/Sabrang/india7.nsf/38b852a8345861dd65256a980059289d/43f22a268865987a652570de007d9457?OpenDocument|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130527160946/http://www.indiarightsonline.com/Sabrang/india7.nsf/38b852a8345861dd65256a980059289d/43f22a268865987a652570de007d9457?OpenDocument|archive-date=2013-05-27|access-date=2005-04-08|publisher=website}}</ref> of two members, Dr. [[Sri Krishna Sinha]] as first [[List of Chief Ministers of Bihar|Chief Minister of Bihar]] and Dr. [[Anugrah Narayan Sinha]]<ref>{{cite web|author=Kamat|title=Anugrah Narayan Sinha|url=http://www.kamat.com/database/biographies/anugrah_narayan_sinha.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061109021214/http://www.kamat.com/database/biographies/anugrah_narayan_sinha.htm|archive-date=2006-11-09|access-date=2006-11-25|publisher=Kamat's archive}}</ref> as Bihar's first [[List of Deputy Chief Ministers of Bihar|Deputy Chief Minister]] cum Finance<ref>{{cite book|author=Dr. Rajendra Prasad's Letters to Anugrah Narayan Sinha|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gQCRixJzOgsC&q=anugrah+babu&pg=PA123|title=First Finance cum Labour Minister|publisher=Rajendra Prasad's archive|year=1984|isbn=9788170230021|access-date=2007-06-25}}</ref> Minister (also in charge of Labour, Health, Agriculture and Irrigation). Other ministers were inducted later. The cabinet served as the first Bihar Government after independence in 1947. From 1946, 23 people have been Chief Minister of Bihar. The inaugural holder was [[Sri Krishna Sinha]] of the [[Indian National Congress]], he also has the longest incumbency. The current incumbent is [[Nitish Kumar]] who is having incumbency since 22 February 2015.
In 1946 First Cabinet of Bihar formed; consisting<ref>{{cite web|author=S Shankar|title=The Sri Babu-Anugrah babu government|url=http://www.indiarightsonline.com/Sabrang/india7.nsf/38b852a8345861dd65256a980059289d/43f22a268865987a652570de007d9457?OpenDocument|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130527160946/http://www.indiarightsonline.com/Sabrang/india7.nsf/38b852a8345861dd65256a980059289d/43f22a268865987a652570de007d9457?OpenDocument|archive-date=2013-05-27|access-date=2005-04-08|publisher=website}}</ref> of two members, Dr. [[Sri Krishna Sinha]] as first [[List of Chief Ministers of Bihar|Chief Minister of Bihar]] and Dr. [[Anugrah Narayan Sinha]]<ref>{{cite web|author=Kamat|title=Anugrah Narayan Sinha|url=http://www.kamat.com/database/biographies/anugrah_narayan_sinha.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061109021214/http://www.kamat.com/database/biographies/anugrah_narayan_sinha.htm|archive-date=2006-11-09|access-date=2006-11-25|publisher=Kamat's archive}}</ref> as Bihar's first [[List of Deputy Chief Ministers of Bihar|Deputy Chief Minister]] cum Finance<ref>{{cite book|author=Dr. Rajendra Prasad's Letters to Anugrah Narayan Sinha|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gQCRixJzOgsC&q=anugrah+babu&pg=PA123|title=First Finance cum Labour Minister|publisher=Rajendra Prasad's archive|year=1984|isbn=9788170230021|access-date=2007-06-25}}</ref> Minister (also in charge of Labour, Health, Agriculture and Irrigation). Other ministers were inducted later. The cabinet served as the first Bihar Government after independence in 1947. From 1946, 23 people have been Chief Minister of Bihar. The inaugural holder was [[Sri Krishna Sinha]] of the [[Indian National Congress]], he also has the longest incumbency. The current incumbent is [[Nitish Kumar]] who is having incumbency since 22 February 2015.
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{{Main|Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar}}
{{Main|Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar}}


Despite being not mentioned in the constitution or law, the Deputy-Chief minister office is often used to pacify factions within the party or coalition. It is similar to the rarely used Deputy-Prime minister post in Central government of India. During the absence of the Chief minister, the deputy-CM may chair cabinet meetings and lead the Assembly majority. Various deputy chief ministers have also taken the oath of secrecy in line with the one that chief minister takes. This oath has also sparked controversies.<ref>{{cite web|author=Dhananjay Mahapatra|date=27 December 2017|title=Deputy CM: Not in Constitution, yet a post with a long history|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/deputy-cm-not-in-constitution-yet-a-post-with-a-long-history/articleshow/62259990.cms|access-date=28 June 2019|publisher=Times of India}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=S. Rajendran|date=13 July 2012|title=Of Deputy Chief Ministers and the Constitution|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/of-deputy-chief-ministers-and-the-constitution/article3632410.ece|access-date=28 June 2019|publisher=The Hindu}}</ref>
[[File:Samrat Chaudhary wishing Nitish Kumar on his birthday.jpg|thumb|Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, [[Samrat Chaudhary]] meeting with longest serving Chief Minister of Bihar, [[Nitish Kumar]] in 2024.]]
Despite being not mentioned in the constitution or law, the Deputy-Chief minister office is often used to pacify factions within the party or coalition. It is similar to the rarely used Deputy-Prime minister post in Central government of India. During the absence of the Chief minister, the deputy-CM may chair cabinet meetings and lead the Assembly majority. Various deputy chief ministers have also taken the oath of secrecy in line with the one that chief minister takes. This oath has also sparked controversies.<ref>{{cite web|author=Dhananjay Mahapatra|date=27 December 2017|title=Deputy CM: Not in Constitution, yet a post with a long history|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/deputy-cm-not-in-constitution-yet-a-post-with-a-long-history/articleshow/62259990.cms|access-date=28 June 2019|publisher=Times of India}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=S. Rajendran|date=13 July 2012|title=Of Deputy Chief Ministers and the Constitution|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/of-deputy-chief-ministers-and-the-constitution/article3632410.ece|access-date=28 June 2019|work=The Hindu}}</ref>


=== Ministry ===
=== Ministry ===
{{See also|Seventh Nitish Kumar ministry}}
{{See also|Tenth Nitish Kumar ministry}}
 
The government is headed by the governor who appoints the chief minister and his council of ministers. The governor is appointed for five years and acts as the constitutional head of the state. Even though the governor remains the ceremonial head of the state, the day-to-day running of the government is taken care of by the chief minister and his council of ministers in whom a great deal of legislative powers is vested.. The secretariat headed by the secretary to the governor assists the council of ministers. The council of ministers consists of cabinet ministers, ministers of state and deputy ministers. The chief minister is assisted by the chief secretary, who is the head of the administrative services.
The government is headed by the governor who appoints the chief minister and his council of ministers. The governor is appointed for five years and acts as the constitutional head of the state. Even though the governor remains the ceremonial head of the state, the day-to-day running of the government is taken care of by the chief minister and his council of ministers in whom a great deal of legislative powers is vested.. The secretariat headed by the secretary to the governor assists the council of ministers. The council of ministers consists of cabinet ministers, ministers of state and deputy ministers. The chief minister is assisted by the chief secretary, who is the head of the administrative services.
{{transcluded section|Tenth Nitish Kumar ministry#Council of Ministers}}
{{trim|{{#section-h:Tenth Nitish Kumar ministry|Council of Ministers}}}}


== Legislature ==
== Legislature ==
[[State government|State governments]] in India are the governments ruling [[states of India]] and the [[Chief Minister (India)|chief minister]] heads the state government.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Prasad|first1=R. C.|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1600996?seq=1|title=Local Government and Development in India|pages=265–279}}</ref> Power is [[Federalism in India|divided]] between union government and state governments.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Jagannadham|first1=V.|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/42743171?seq=1|title=DIVISION OF POWERS IN THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION|pages=742–751}}</ref> State government's legislature is [[bicameral]] in [[List of states of India by type of legislature|5 states]] and [[unicameral]] in the rest.<ref>{{cite book|last1=de Miñón|first1=Miguel Herrero|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/839106?seq=1|title=The Passing of Bicameralism|pages=236–254}}</ref>  Bihar is one of the six states where bicameral legislature exists. Other [[States and territories of India|states]] are [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Karnataka]], [[Maharashtra Vidhan Parishad|Maharashtra]], [[Telangana]] and [[Andhra Pradesh]]. The  [[Bihar Legislative Council]] is [[Vidhan Parishad]] serves as the upper house and [[Bihar Legislative Assembly]] is [[Vidhan Sabha]] serves as the lower house of the [[bicameral]] legislature of the [[India|Indian]] state of [[Bihar]]. Lower house is elected with 5 years term, while in upper house 1/3 of the total members in the house gets elected every 2 years with 6-year term.
[[State government]]s in India are the governments ruling [[states of India]] and the [[Chief Minister (India)|chief minister]] heads the state government.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Prasad|first1=R. C.|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1600996|title=Local Government and Development in India|journal=International Political Science Review / Revue Internationale de Science Politique |year=1980 |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages=265–279|doi=10.1177/019251218000100210 |jstor=1600996 |s2cid=145673733 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> Power is [[Federalism in India|divided]] between union government and state governments.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Jagannadham|first1=V.|title=Division of Powers in the Indian Constitution |journal=The Indian Journal of Political Science |year=1947 |volume=8 |issue=3 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/42743171|pages=742–751|jstor=42743171 }}</ref> State government's legislature is [[bicameral]] in [[List of states of India by type of legislature|6 states]] and [[unicameral]] in the rest.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=de Miñón|first1=Miguel Herrero|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/839106|title=The Passing of Bicameralism|journal=The American Journal of Comparative Law |year=1975 |volume=23 |issue=2 |pages=236–254|doi=10.2307/839106 |jstor=839106 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>  Bihar is one of the six states where bicameral legislature exists. Other [[States and territories of India|states]] are [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Karnataka]], [[Maharashtra Vidhan Parishad|Maharashtra]], [[Telangana]] and [[Andhra Pradesh]]. The  [[Bihar Legislative Council]] is [[Vidhan Parishad]] serves as the upper house and [[Bihar Legislative Assembly]] is [[Vidhan Sabha]] serves as the lower house of the [[bicameral]] legislature of the [[India]]n state of [[Bihar]]. Lower house is elected with 5 years term, while in upper house 1/3 of the total members in the house gets elected every two years with six-year term.


=== Vidhan Sabha ===
=== Vidhan Sabha ===
{{main|Bihar Vidhan Sabha}}
{{main|Bihar Vidhan Sabha}}
{{See also|Vidhan Sabha}}The Vidhan Sabha is also known as Legislative Assembly.  The Bihar Legislative Assembly first came into being in 1937 and not a permanent body and subject to dissolution. The tenure of the [[Vidhan Sabha|Legislative Assembly]] is five years from the date appointed for its first sitting unless dissolved sooner. Members of the Legislative Assembly are directly elected by the people. There are three sessions (Budget session, Monsoon session, Winter session) every year. The Sessions of Legislative Assembly are presided by Speaker. The Speaker certifies that whether a bill is ordinary bill or money bill. Generally he does not participate in voting but he casts his vote in the case of tie. The current strength of the House is 243.  
 
{{See also|Vidhan Sabha}}The Vidhan Sabha is also known as Legislative Assembly.  The Bihar Legislative Assembly first came into being in 1937 and not a permanent body and subject to dissolution. The tenure of the [[Vidhan Sabha|Legislative Assembly]] is five years from the date appointed for its first sitting unless dissolved sooner. Members of the Legislative Assembly are directly elected by the people. There are three sessions (Budget session, Monsoon session, Winter session) every year. The Sessions of Legislative Assembly are presided by Speaker. The Speaker certifies that whether a bill is ordinary bill or money bill. Generally he does not participate in voting but he casts his vote in the case of tie. The current strength of the House is 243.


=== Vidhan Parishad ===
=== Vidhan Parishad ===
{{main|Bihar Vidhan Parishad}}
{{main|Bihar Vidhan Parishad}}
{{See also|Vidhan Parishad}}The [[Vidhan Parishad]] is also known as Legislative Council.  Bihar Legislative Council is a permanent body and not subject to dissolution. But as nearly as possible, one-third of the members thereof  retire as soon as may be on the expiration of every second year. Members are now elected or nominated for six years and one-third of them retire every second year. The presiding officers of Vidhan Parishad are now known as Chairman and Deputy Chairman.  Members of the upper house, the [[Legislative Council]] are indirectly elected through an electoral college. There are 27 Committees which are, at present, functional in the Council. Besides, there are three Financial Committees consisting of the members of the two Houses of the State Legislature.
 
{{See also|Vidhan Parishad}}The [[Vidhan Parishad]] is also known as Legislative Council.  Bihar Legislative Council is a permanent body and not subject to dissolution. But as nearly as possible, one-third of the members thereof  retire as soon as may be on the expiration of every second year. Members are now elected or nominated for six years and one-third of them retire every second year. The presiding officers of Vidhan Parishad are now known as chairman and deputy chairman.  Members of the upper house, the [[Legislative Council]] are indirectly elected through an electoral college. There are 27 Committees which are, at present, functional in the council. Besides, there are three Financial Committees consisting of the members of the two Houses of the State Legislature.


== Judiciary ==
== Judiciary ==
=== High Court ===
=== High Court ===
{{main|Patna High Court}}
{{main|Patna High Court}}
The [[Patna High Court]] ({{lang-hi|पटना उच्च न्यायालय}}) is the [[High Courts of India|High Court]] of the [[Indian state|state]] of Bihar. The [[Patna High Court]] is the principle civil courts in [[Bihar]]. However, a high court exercises its original civil and criminal jurisdiction only if the subordinate courts are not authorized by law to try such matters for lack of pecuniary, territorial jurisdiction. High courts may also enjoy original jurisdiction in certain matters, if so designated Specially in a state or federal law It was established on February 3, 1916, and later affiliated under the ''[[Government of India]] Act, 1915''. The court is headquartered in Patna, the administrative [[List of Indian state and union territory capitals|capital]] of the [[States and territories of India|state]]. A proclamation was made by the Governor-General of India on 22 March 1912. The foundation-stone of the High Court Building was laid on 1 December 1913 by the late Viceroy and Governor-General of India, [[Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst|Sir Charles Hardinge]] of Penshurst. The Patna High Court building on its completion was formally opened by the [[Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst|same Viceroy]] on 3 February 1916. Hon. Sir Justice [[Edward Maynard Des Champs Chamier]] was the first Chief Justice of Patna High Court. This High Court has given two [[Chief Justice of India|Chief Justices of India]]: Hon'ble Mr. Justice [[Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Sinha]], the 6th [[Chief Justice of India|C.J.I.]], and Hon. Mr. Justice [[Lalit Mohan Sharma]], the 24th C.J.I..Hon. The Chief Justice Mr. Sanjay Karol is the current Chief Justice of Patna High Court. . [[Patna High Court]] has are 53 Judges which includes 40 permanent and 13 additional judges.
 
The [[Patna High Court]] ({{langx|hi|पटना उच्च न्यायालय}}) is the [[High Courts of India|High Court]] of the [[Indian state|state]] of Bihar. The [[Patna High Court]] is the principal court of the state of [[Bihar]]. However, a high court exercises its original civil and criminal jurisdiction only if the subordinate courts are not authorized by law to try such matters for lack of pecuniary, territorial jurisdiction. High courts may also enjoy original jurisdiction in certain matters, if so designated Specially in a state or federal law It was established on February 3, 1916, and later affiliated under the [[Government of India Act 1915]] ([[5 & 6 Geo. 5]]. c. 61). The court is headquartered in Patna, the administrative [[List of Indian state and union territory capitals|capital]] of the [[States and territories of India|state]]. A proclamation was made by the Governor-General of India on 22 March 1912. The foundation-stone of the High Court Building was laid on 1 December 1913 by the late Viceroy and Governor-General of India, [[Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst|Sir Charles Hardinge]] of Penshurst. The Patna High Court building on its completion was formally opened by the [[Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst|same Viceroy]] on 3 February 1916. Hon. Sir Justice [[Edward Maynard Des Champs Chamier]] was the first Chief Justice of Patna High Court. This High Court has given two [[Chief Justice of India|Chief Justices of India]]: Hon'ble Mr. Justice [[Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Sinha]], the 6th [[Chief Justice of India|C.J.I.]], and Hon. Mr. Justice [[Lalit Mohan Sharma]], the 24th C.J.I.. Hon. Mr Justice Sudhir Singh is the current Acting Chief Justice of Patna High Court. [[Patna High Court]] has strength of 53 Judges which includes 40 permanent and 13 additional judges.


=== District Courts ===
=== District Courts ===
The '''District Courts''' of [[India]] are the [[District court|district courts]] of the [[State governments in India]] for every district or for one or more districts together taking into account of the number of cases, population distribution in the district. They administer justice in India at a [[Districts of India|district]] level. Bihar has total [[List of district courts in India#Bihar (37)|37 district courts]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bihar/District Court in India {{!}} Official Website of District Court of India|url=https://districts.ecourts.gov.in/bihar|access-date=2021-05-18|website=districts.ecourts.gov.in}}</ref>
The '''District Courts''' of [[India]] are the [[district court]]s of the [[State governments in India]] for every district or for one or more districts together taking into account of the number of cases, population distribution in the district. They administer justice in India at a [[Districts of India|district]] level. Bihar has [[List of district courts in India#Bihar (37)|37 district courts]] in total.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bihar/District Court in India {{!}} Official Website of District Court of India|url=https://districts.ecourts.gov.in/bihar|access-date=2021-05-18|website=districts.ecourts.gov.in}}</ref>


The Civil Court District Court is judged by District and Sessions Judge.This is the principal court of [[Original jurisdiction|original]] [[Civil law (common law)|civil jurisdiction]] besides the High Court of the State and which derives its jurisdiction in civil matters primarily from the code of civil procedure. The district court is also a court of sessions when it exercises its jurisdiction on criminal matters under the Code of Criminal procedure. The district court is presided over by a district judge appointed by the state governor with on the advice of chief justice of that high court. In addition to the district judge there may be a number of additional district judges and assistant district judges depending on the workload. The additional district judge and the court presided have equivalent jurisdiction as the district judge and his district court.<ref name="District Courts of India - official website">{{cite web|title=District Courts of India - official website|url=http://www.indiancourts.nic.in/districtcourt.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130122225727/http://indiancourts.nic.in/districtcourt.html|archive-date=22 January 2013|access-date=16 March 2012}}</ref>
The Civil Court/District Court is judged by District and Sessions Judge. It is the principal court of [[Original jurisdiction|original]] [[Civil law (common law)|civil jurisdiction]] besides the High Court of the State and which derives its jurisdiction in civil matters primarily from the code of civil procedure. The district court is also a court of sessions when it exercises its jurisdiction on criminal matters under the [[Code of Criminal Procedure (India)|Code of Criminal Procedure]]. The district court is presided over by a district judge appointed by the state governor with on the advice of chief justice of that high court. In addition to the district judge there are a number of additional district and sessions judges and assistant district judges. The additional district judge and the court presided over by the additional district judge have equivalent rank, status and jurisdiction as the district judge and presiding court.<ref name="District Courts of India - official website">{{cite web|title=District Courts of India - official website|url=http://www.indiancourts.nic.in/districtcourt.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130122225727/http://indiancourts.nic.in/districtcourt.html|archive-date=22 January 2013|access-date=16 March 2012}}</ref> Assistant sessions judge is subordinate to the district judge and additional(s).


== Elections and Politics ==
== Elections and Politics ==
{{Main|Elections in Bihar|Politics of Bihar}}
{{Main|Elections in Bihar|Politics of Bihar}}
{{See also|Election Commission of India}}India has a [[Federalism|quasi-federal]] form of government, called "union" or "central" government,<ref>{{cite web|title=Archived copy|url=http://lawmin.nic.in/olwing/coi/coi-english/coi-4March2016.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160416084719/http://lawmin.nic.in/olwing/coi/coi-english/coi-4March2016.pdf|archive-date=16 April 2016|access-date=16 July 2016}}</ref> with elected officials at the union, state and local levels. At the national level, the [[head of government]], the [[Prime Minister of India|prime minister]], is appointed by the [[president of India]] from the party or coalition that has the majority of seats in the [[Lok Sabha]]. The members of the [[Lok Sabha]] (Center) and [[Bihar Vidhan Sabha]] are directly elected for a term of five years by [[Universal suffrage|universal adult suffrage]] through a [[first-past-the-post]] voting system. Members of the [[Rajya Sabha]], which represents the [[States of India|states]], are elected by the members of State legislative assemblies by [[proportional representation]], except for 12 members who are nominated by the president.  In [[Bihar Vidhan Parishad]], 1/3 of the total members in the house gets elected every 2 years with 6-year term.


{{As of|2014|post=,}} there are two main political formations: the [[National Democratic Alliance (India)|National Democratic Alliance]] (NDA) which comprises [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP, Indian People's Party), [[Lok Janashakti Party]] (LJP) and [[Janata Dal (United)]] (JDU); and a second alliance between [[Rashtriya Janata Dal]] (RJD, National People's Party), [[Hindustani Awam Morcha]], [[Rashtriya Lok Samta Party]] and [[Indian National Congress]] (INC). There are many other political formations. The [[Communist Party of India]] had a strong presence in Bihar at one time, which has since weakened.<ref>{{cite web|title=State Wise Seat Won & Valid Votes Polled by Political Parties|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/archiveofge2014/17%20-%20State%20wise%20seat%20won%20and%20valid%20votes%20polled%20by%20political%20party.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150424233926/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/archiveofge2014/17%20-%20State%20wise%20seat%20won%20and%20valid%20votes%20polled%20by%20political%20party.pdf|archive-date=24 April 2015|access-date=20 September 2015|publisher=Election Commission of India}}</ref> The [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]] CPI(M) and CPM and [[All India Forward Bloc]] (AIFB) have a minor presence, along with the other extreme leftist parties.<ref>{{cite news|date=25 September 2011|title=The Decline of Communist Mass Base in Bihar: Jagannath Sardar|url=http://kafila.org/2011/09/25/the-decline-of-communist-mass-base-in-bihar-jagannath-sarkar/|url-status=live|access-date=20 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106132116/http://kafila.org/2011/09/25/the-decline-of-communist-mass-base-in-bihar-jagannath-sarkar/|archive-date=6 January 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
{{See also|Election Commission of India}}India has a [[Federalism|quasi-federal]] form of government, called "union" or "central" government,<ref>{{cite web|title=Archived copy|url=http://lawmin.nic.in/olwing/coi/coi-english/coi-4March2016.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160416084719/http://lawmin.nic.in/olwing/coi/coi-english/coi-4March2016.pdf|archive-date=16 April 2016|access-date=16 July 2016}}</ref> with elected officials at the union, state and local levels. At the national level, the [[head of government]], the [[Prime Minister of India|prime minister]], is appointed by the [[president of India]] from the party or coalition that has the majority of seats in the [[Lok Sabha]]. The members of the [[Lok Sabha]] (Center) and [[Bihar Vidhan Sabha]] are directly elected for a term of five years by [[Universal suffrage|universal adult suffrage]] through a [[first-past-the-post]] voting system. Members of the [[Rajya Sabha]], which represents the [[States of India|states]], are elected by the members of State legislative assemblies by [[proportional representation]], except for 12 members who are nominated by the president.  In [[Bihar Vidhan Parishad]], 1/3 of the total members in the house gets elected every 2 years with 6-year term.<ref>{{Cite news |date= |title=Nitish Kumar took oath as Chief Minister for the ninth time, Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Sinha became Deputy CM for the first time |url=https://www.prabhatkhabar.com/state/bihar/nitish-kumar-took-oath-as-chief-minister-for-9th-time-samrat-chaudhary-and-vijay-sinha-became-deputy-cm-asj |access-date= |work=Prabhat Khabar}}</ref>
 
{{As of|2023|post=,}} there are two main political formations: the [[National Democratic Alliance (India)|National Democratic Alliance]] (NDA) which comprises [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP, Indian People's Party), [[Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas)]] (LJP (RV)) and [[Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party]] (RLJP); and a second alliance between [[Rashtriya Janata Dal]] (RJD, National People's Party), [[Hindustani Awam Morcha]], [[Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal]] and [[Indian National Congress]] (INC). There are many other political formations. The [[Communist Party of India]] had a strong presence in Bihar at one time, which has since weakened.<ref>{{cite web|title=State Wise Seat Won & Valid Votes Polled by Political Parties|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/archiveofge2014/17%20-%20State%20wise%20seat%20won%20and%20valid%20votes%20polled%20by%20political%20party.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150424233926/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/archiveofge2014/17%20-%20State%20wise%20seat%20won%20and%20valid%20votes%20polled%20by%20political%20party.pdf|archive-date=24 April 2015|access-date=20 September 2015|publisher=Election Commission of India}}</ref> The [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]] CPI(M) and CPM and [[All India Forward Bloc]] (AIFB) have a minor presence, along with the other extreme leftist parties.<ref>{{cite news|date=25 September 2011|title=The Decline of Communist Mass Base in Bihar: Jagannath Sardar|url=http://kafila.org/2011/09/25/the-decline-of-communist-mass-base-in-bihar-jagannath-sarkar/|url-status=live|access-date=20 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106132116/http://kafila.org/2011/09/25/the-decline-of-communist-mass-base-in-bihar-jagannath-sarkar/|archive-date=6 January 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>


== Administration and Local governments ==
== Administration and Local governments ==
{{Main|Administration in Bihar}}
{{Main|Administration in Bihar}}
Local governments function at the basic level. It is the third level of government apart from union and state governments. It consists of [[Local self-government in India|panchayats]] in rural areas and [[Municipal governance in India|municipalities]] in urban areas. They are elected directly or indirectly by the people. {{Administrative structure of Bihar}}
Local governments function at the basic level. It is the third level of government apart from union and state governments. It consists of [[Local self-government in India|panchayats]] in rural areas and [[Municipal governance in India|municipalities]] in urban areas. They are elected directly or indirectly by the people. {{Administrative structure of Bihar}}
== Government agencies ==
*[[Information and Public Relations Department, Bihar]]


== See also ==
== See also ==
* [[Administration in Bihar]]
* [[Administration in Bihar]]
* [[List of Ministers of Bihar]]
* [[List of deputy chief ministers of Bihar]]
* [[List of Deputy Chief Ministers of Bihar]]
* [[Government of India]]
* [[Government of India]]
* [[Bihar Economic Survey]]
*[[Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority]]
==Notes==
{{Notelist}}


== References ==
== References ==
Line 106: Line 132:


==External links==
==External links==
* {{Official website|http://gov.bih.nic.in}}
* {{Official website|http://gov.bih.nic.in}}



Latest revision as of 17:08, 24 March 2026


Government of Bihar
Bicameral
Seat of GovernmentPatna
Country India
Legislative branch
Legislature
Executive branch
Governor
(Head of the State)
Syed Ata Hasnain
Chief Minister
(Head of Government)
Nitish Kumar,  [[Janata Dal (United) |Template:Janata Dal (United) /meta/shortname]]  
Judiciary
CourtPatna High Court
Seat53

Template:Politics of Bihar

The Government of Bihar is the state government of the Indian state of Bihar and its nine divisions which consist of districts. It consists of an executive, led by the Governor of Bihar, a judiciary and legislative branches.

Like other states in India, the head of state of Bihar is the Governor, appointed by the President of India on the advice of the central government. The head of state is largely ceremonial. The Chief Minister is the head of government and is vested with most of the executive powers. Patna is the capital of Bihar hence, it serves as the headquarter for almost all the departments.

The Patna High Court, located in Patna, has jurisdiction over the whole state. The present legislative structure of Bihar is bicameral. The Legislative houses are the Bihar Vidhan Sabha (Bihar Legislative Assembly) and Bihar Vidhan Parishad (Bihar Legislative Council). Their normal term is five years, unless dissolved earlier.

Executive[edit | edit source]

Governor[edit | edit source]

The Governors of the states of India have similar powers and functions at the state level as those of the President of India at Union level. Governors exist in the states while lieutenant governors or administrator exist in union territories. According to the Constitution of India, the Governor is a state's head, but de facto executive authority rests with the chief minister. The governor acts as the nominal head whereas the real power lies with the Chief ministers of the states[citation needed] and his/her councils of ministers. The Governor of a State is appointed by the President of India. The factors based on which the President evaluates the candidates is not mentioned in the Constitution.[1] In his ex-officio capacity, the Governor of Bihar is Chancellor of the universities of Bihar (at present 12) as per the Acts of the Universities.

Chief Minister[edit | edit source]

In the Republic of India, a chief minister is the elected head of government of the each state out of 28[2] states and sometimes a union territory (currently, only the UTs of Delhi and Puducherry have serving Chief Ministers). Following elections to the Bihar Legislative Assembly, the governor usually invites the party (or coalition) with a majority of seats to form the government. The governor appoints the chief minister, whose council of ministers are collectively responsible to the assembly. Given that he has the confidence of the assembly, the chief minister's term is for five years and is subject to no term limits.[3]

In 1946 First Cabinet of Bihar formed; consisting[4] of two members, Dr. Sri Krishna Sinha as first Chief Minister of Bihar and Dr. Anugrah Narayan Sinha[5] as Bihar's first Deputy Chief Minister cum Finance[6] Minister (also in charge of Labour, Health, Agriculture and Irrigation). Other ministers were inducted later. The cabinet served as the first Bihar Government after independence in 1947. From 1946, 23 people have been Chief Minister of Bihar. The inaugural holder was Sri Krishna Sinha of the Indian National Congress, he also has the longest incumbency. The current incumbent is Nitish Kumar who is having incumbency since 22 February 2015.

Deputy Chief Minister[edit | edit source]

Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, Samrat Chaudhary meeting with longest serving Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar in 2024.

Despite being not mentioned in the constitution or law, the Deputy-Chief minister office is often used to pacify factions within the party or coalition. It is similar to the rarely used Deputy-Prime minister post in Central government of India. During the absence of the Chief minister, the deputy-CM may chair cabinet meetings and lead the Assembly majority. Various deputy chief ministers have also taken the oath of secrecy in line with the one that chief minister takes. This oath has also sparked controversies.[7][8]

Ministry[edit | edit source]

The government is headed by the governor who appoints the chief minister and his council of ministers. The governor is appointed for five years and acts as the constitutional head of the state. Even though the governor remains the ceremonial head of the state, the day-to-day running of the government is taken care of by the chief minister and his council of ministers in whom a great deal of legislative powers is vested.. The secretariat headed by the secretary to the governor assists the council of ministers. The council of ministers consists of cabinet ministers, ministers of state and deputy ministers. The chief minister is assisted by the chief secretary, who is the head of the administrative services.

Portfolio Minister Took office Left office Party Ref
Chief Minister
General Administration
Cabinet Secretariat
Civil Aviation
Vigilance
Elections
Other departments not allocated to any Minister
 Nitish Kumar20 November 202514 April 2026JD(U)
Deputy Chief Minister
Home Affairs
 Samrat Choudhary20 November 202514 April 2026BJP
Deputy Chief Minister
Revenue & Land Reforms
Mines & Geology
 Vijay Sinha20 November 202514 April 2026BJP
Water Resources
Parliamentary Affairs
Information & Public Relations
Building Construction
 Vijay Chaudhary20 November 202514 April 2026JD(U)
Finance
Energy
Commercial Taxes
Planning & Development
Prohibition, Excise & Registration
 Bijendra Yadav20 November 202514 April 2026JD(U)
Rural Development
Transport
 Shrawan Kumar20 November 202514 April 2026JD(U)
Health
Law
 Mangal Pandey20 November 202514 April 2026BJP
Industries Dilip Jaiswal20 November 202514 April 2026BJP
Rural Works Ashok Choudhary20 November 202514 April 2026JD(U)
Food & Consumer Protection Leshi Singh20 November 202514 April 2026JD(U)
Road Construction Nitin Nabin20 November 202516 December 2025BJP
 Dilip Jaiswal16 December 2025[9]14 April 2026BJP
Urban Development & Housing Nitin Nabin20 November 202516 December 2025BJP
 Vijay Sinha16 December 2025[9]14 April 2026BJP
Social Welfare Madan Sahni20 November 202514 April 2026JD(U)
Agriculture Ram Kripal Yadav20 November 202514 April 2026BJP
Minor Water Resources Santosh Suman20 November 202514 April 2026Hindustani Awam Morcha
Education
Science, Technology & Technical Education
 Sunil Kumar20 November 202514 April 2026JD(U)
Higher Education Sunil Kumar12 December 202514 April 2026JD(U)
Minority Welfare Mohd Zama Khan20 November 202514 April 2026JD(U)
Labour Resources & Migrant Workers Welfare Sanjay Singh Tiger20 November 202514 April 2026BJP
Youth, Employment and Skill Development Sanjay Singh Tiger12 December 202514 April 2026BJP
Tourism
Art & Culture
 Arun Shankar Prasad20 November 202514 April 2026BJP
Diary Fisheries & Animal Resources Surendra Mehta20 November 202514 April 2026BJP
Disaster Management Narayan Prasad20 November 202514 April 2026BJP
BC & EBC Welfare Rama Nishad20 November 202514 April 2026BJP
SC & ST Welfare Lakhendra Raushan20 November 202514 April 2026BJP
Information Technology
Sports
 Shreyasi Singh20 November 202514 April 2026BJP
Co-operative
Environment, Forest & Climate Change
 Pramod Chandravanshi20 November 202514 April 2026BJP
Sugarcane Industries Sanjay Paswan20 November 202514 April 2026Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas)
Public Health Engineering Sanjay Kumar Singh20 November 202514 April 2026Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas)
Panchayati Raj Deepak Prakash20 November 202514 April 2026Rashtriya Lok Morcha

Legislature[edit | edit source]

State governments in India are the governments ruling states of India and the chief minister heads the state government.[10] Power is divided between union government and state governments.[11] State government's legislature is bicameral in 6 states and unicameral in the rest.[12] Bihar is one of the six states where bicameral legislature exists. Other states are Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The Bihar Legislative Council is Vidhan Parishad serves as the upper house and Bihar Legislative Assembly is Vidhan Sabha serves as the lower house of the bicameral legislature of the Indian state of Bihar. Lower house is elected with 5 years term, while in upper house 1/3 of the total members in the house gets elected every two years with six-year term.

Vidhan Sabha[edit | edit source]

The Vidhan Sabha is also known as Legislative Assembly. The Bihar Legislative Assembly first came into being in 1937 and not a permanent body and subject to dissolution. The tenure of the Legislative Assembly is five years from the date appointed for its first sitting unless dissolved sooner. Members of the Legislative Assembly are directly elected by the people. There are three sessions (Budget session, Monsoon session, Winter session) every year. The Sessions of Legislative Assembly are presided by Speaker. The Speaker certifies that whether a bill is ordinary bill or money bill. Generally he does not participate in voting but he casts his vote in the case of tie. The current strength of the House is 243.

Vidhan Parishad[edit | edit source]

The Vidhan Parishad is also known as Legislative Council. Bihar Legislative Council is a permanent body and not subject to dissolution. But as nearly as possible, one-third of the members thereof retire as soon as may be on the expiration of every second year. Members are now elected or nominated for six years and one-third of them retire every second year. The presiding officers of Vidhan Parishad are now known as chairman and deputy chairman. Members of the upper house, the Legislative Council are indirectly elected through an electoral college. There are 27 Committees which are, at present, functional in the council. Besides, there are three Financial Committees consisting of the members of the two Houses of the State Legislature.

Judiciary[edit | edit source]

High Court[edit | edit source]

The Patna High Court (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.) is the High Court of the state of Bihar. The Patna High Court is the principal court of the state of Bihar. However, a high court exercises its original civil and criminal jurisdiction only if the subordinate courts are not authorized by law to try such matters for lack of pecuniary, territorial jurisdiction. High courts may also enjoy original jurisdiction in certain matters, if so designated Specially in a state or federal law It was established on February 3, 1916, and later affiliated under the Government of India Act 1915 (5 & 6 Geo. 5. c. 61). The court is headquartered in Patna, the administrative capital of the state. A proclamation was made by the Governor-General of India on 22 March 1912. The foundation-stone of the High Court Building was laid on 1 December 1913 by the late Viceroy and Governor-General of India, Sir Charles Hardinge of Penshurst. The Patna High Court building on its completion was formally opened by the same Viceroy on 3 February 1916. Hon. Sir Justice Edward Maynard Des Champs Chamier was the first Chief Justice of Patna High Court. This High Court has given two Chief Justices of India: Hon'ble Mr. Justice Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Sinha, the 6th C.J.I., and Hon. Mr. Justice Lalit Mohan Sharma, the 24th C.J.I.. Hon. Mr Justice Sudhir Singh is the current Acting Chief Justice of Patna High Court. Patna High Court has strength of 53 Judges which includes 40 permanent and 13 additional judges.

District Courts[edit | edit source]

The District Courts of India are the district courts of the State governments in India for every district or for one or more districts together taking into account of the number of cases, population distribution in the district. They administer justice in India at a district level. Bihar has 37 district courts in total.[13]

The Civil Court/District Court is judged by District and Sessions Judge. It is the principal court of original civil jurisdiction besides the High Court of the State and which derives its jurisdiction in civil matters primarily from the code of civil procedure. The district court is also a court of sessions when it exercises its jurisdiction on criminal matters under the Code of Criminal Procedure. The district court is presided over by a district judge appointed by the state governor with on the advice of chief justice of that high court. In addition to the district judge there are a number of additional district and sessions judges and assistant district judges. The additional district judge and the court presided over by the additional district judge have equivalent rank, status and jurisdiction as the district judge and presiding court.[14] Assistant sessions judge is subordinate to the district judge and additional(s).

Elections and Politics[edit | edit source]

India has a quasi-federal form of government, called "union" or "central" government,[15] with elected officials at the union, state and local levels. At the national level, the head of government, the prime minister, is appointed by the president of India from the party or coalition that has the majority of seats in the Lok Sabha. The members of the Lok Sabha (Center) and Bihar Vidhan Sabha are directly elected for a term of five years by universal adult suffrage through a first-past-the-post voting system. Members of the Rajya Sabha, which represents the states, are elected by the members of State legislative assemblies by proportional representation, except for 12 members who are nominated by the president. In Bihar Vidhan Parishad, 1/3 of the total members in the house gets elected every 2 years with 6-year term.[16]

As of 2023, there are two main political formations: the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) which comprises Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, Indian People's Party), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (LJP (RV)) and Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP); and a second alliance between Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD, National People's Party), Hindustani Awam Morcha, Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal and Indian National Congress (INC). There are many other political formations. The Communist Party of India had a strong presence in Bihar at one time, which has since weakened.[17] The Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M) and CPM and All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) have a minor presence, along with the other extreme leftist parties.[18]

Administration and Local governments[edit | edit source]

Local governments function at the basic level. It is the third level of government apart from union and state governments. It consists of panchayats in rural areas and municipalities in urban areas. They are elected directly or indirectly by the people. Template:Administrative structure of Bihar

Government agencies[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

Notes[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. "article 155, Constitution of India" (PDF).
  2. "States and Union Territories". knowindia.gov.in. Archived from the original on August 18, 2017.
  3. Durga Das Basu. Introduction to the Constitution of India. 1960. 20th Edition, 2011 Reprint. pp. 241, 245. LexisNexis Butterworths Wadhwa Nagpur. ISBN 978-81-8038-559-9. Note: although the text talks about Indian state governments in general, it applies for the specific case of Bihar as well.
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