The Bihar cabinet doubles student scholarships and increases the honoraria for ANM employees before elections

The Bihar government doubled the annual scholarship for students in Classes 9–10 to ₹3,600 and raised the honorarium for contractual Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) workers in urban areas from ₹11,500 to ₹15,000 per month, according to a senior official. The creation of a film and theater institute was one of 129 recommendations agreed at a cabinet meeting on Friday that was presided over by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The state is scheduled to hold assembly elections this year. The honorarium of contractual ANM personnel in urban areas was increased to ₹15,000 per month, with a provision for a 5% annual rise to enhance the vaccination effort, according to Arvind Kumar Choudhary, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of the cabinet department, who spoke after the meeting.

Additionally, under the 'Mukhyamantri Balak/Balika Scholarship' program, the cabinet approved an increase in the annual scholarship for general group students (including minorities) in Classes 9 and 10. From ₹1,800 to ₹3,600 per student, the sum was doubled. Choudhary stated that this will lead to an extra yearly expense of approximately ₹99.21 crore.