bihar of india
TRANSCRIPT
Bihar Overview 2015
Contemporary Bihar actually came into being through a state Reorganization Bill in 2000 that separated Jharkhand from Bihar.
Bihar has farming as main method of subsistence; some ICT based industry.
87.5 percent of its population lives in rural areas.
Literacy of 63.82 per cent in 2011.
The Ganges divides Bihar into two unequal halves and flows through the middle from west to east. Other Ganges tributaries are the Son, Budhi Gandak, Chandan, Orhani and Phalgu.
Though the Himalayas begin at the foothills, a short distance inside Nepal and to the north of Bihar, the mountains influence Bihar's landforms, climate, hydrology and culture.
Central parts of Bihar have some small
hills, for example the Rajgir hills.
To the south is the Chota Nagpur plateau,
which was part of Bihar until 2000 but
now is part of a separate state called
Jharkhand.
Bihar
Bihar has alluvial soil, replenished by flood
waters, suitable for agriculture.
Bihar has a forest area of 7 percent.
Forest cover is divided as dry deciduous,
wet deciduous and sub Himalayan and
Terai forest. There is scope for enhancing
the forests.
Population and Land
Bihar has a population of 104 million.
It is a majority male population(52.6%)
The total area of land is 94,163 sq. km
This is divided into two main regions: the North Ganga Plain and the South Ganga Plain
Further divided there are 38 districts
Capital city is Patna.
Population and Other
Statistics
Per capita income was Rs. 28317 in 2012-13
Density: 880 people per sq. mile
Birth rate: 30.9 per 1000
Death rate: 7.9 per 1000
Population grew 28.4% from 1991-2001
Rural development has three actors i.e. officials, elected representatives and villagers.
Bihar Economy
Gross state domestic product of Bihar for the year 2013/2014 has been around 3683.37 billion INR.
By sectors, its composition is:
– Agriculture = 22%
– Industry = 5%
– Services = 73%.
The economy of Bihar is largely service-oriented, but it has a significant agricultural base. The state also has a small industrial sector. More recently, Bihar's state GDP recorded a very high growth (in the excess of 10%), making Bihar the fastest growing major state of India.
Geography
Upper northeast corner of India, right before it gets squeezed between Bhutan and Bangladesh.
Many important rivers pass through Bihar.
In the southern foothills of the Himalaya Mountain Range, touching Nepal.
Bihar is the tan state within the red shape.
Indo-Gangetic Plain
One of the most notable features of Bihar is its location in the Indo-Gangetic Plain.
This plain is very fertile, making it ideal for an agrarian society.
Recent History
Bihar was located in the northeast of the country,
on the border with Nepal and was India’s third
most populous state.
Most of its residents were scattered across
45,000 villages, where many cultivated the plain
that surrounded the Ganges River.
Migration of workers in search of livelihood was
common.
Ancient History
Historically Bihar had been a major center of learning
Originated from the time of Buddha or even earlier
Home of one of the earliest universities, Nalanda, which dates back to the 5th century
Vikramshia, which is another university is located there as well
Education: Medieval History
During medieval period, education was lost.
Believed that marauding armies of the invaders destroyed the centers of learning.
Education
Has an overall literacy of 63.82%
Male literacy rate of 73.39%
Female literacy rate of 53.57%
Only 21% of all primary school teachers have completed the matriculation
Because of the law of affirmative action that reserves jobs and education for people of backward classes, students from Bihar are performing well in respect to better economically well off states in India
Education
During 1970s and 1980s government took control over private schools
Because government was ill-equipped the standards of the schools began to fall
However, government did not take over schools ran by Christian missionaries, and these schools still provided quality education
Education
Central government runs a number of Kendriya Vidyalayas (Central Schools)
Jawahar Navodaya Schools were made by the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi for rural children
Have been successful in providing quality education to the weaker sections of the society
Literacy rate from 1951 to 2011[99]
Year Total
1961 21.95
1971 23.17
1981 32.32
1991 37.49
2001 47.53
2011 63.82
Education (In Earlier times)
Modern Bihar had an inadequate educational infrastructure which places a huge impact between supply and demand
The growing population had made the situation even worse, and had led to a ―flooding‖ of the student population to other states in order to obtain better education and jobs.
Only 51% of the children enrolled in primary school actually attended, 59% of those who do attend did not have textbooks, and 13% of the children in Bihar were not enrolled at all.
Economy
Bihar lagged behind in the overall progress of India till recently.
Per capita GDP: Rs. 4000 per month in Bihar vs. national average of Rs.12000 per month.
Nearly 10% more people living below the poverty line than the average for India
Reasons for slow development
Inadequate investment in infrastructure, irrigation, and technology.
CM Nitish Kumar tried to change this from 2005.
Bihar
Economy: Agriculture
2 crop seasons: Kharif & Rabi
Major crops: – Rice – Sugar – Tobacco – Wheat – Jute
Other minor crops: – Chilli – Mango – Oil Seeds
Agro-products in Bihar
Bihar has significant levels of production of mango,
guava, litchi, pineapple, brinjal, cauliflower, bhindi, and
cabbage. Despite the state's leading role in food
production, investment in irrigation and other agriculture
facilities has been inadequate.
Historically, the sugar and vegetable oil industries were
flourishing sectors of Bihar. Until the mid-1950s, 25% of
India's sugar output was from Bihar. Dalmianagar was a
large agro-industrial town.
There were attempts to industrialise the state between
1950 and 1980: an oil refinery in Barauni, a motor scooter
plant at Fatuha, and a power plant at Muzaffarpur.
However, these were forced to shut down due to certain
central government policies (like the Freight Settlement
Policy) which neutralised the strategic advantages of
Bihar. Barauni is still one of the few old industrialised
towns in the state. Hajipur, near Patna, remains a major
industrial town in the Bihar, linked to the capital city
through the Ganges bridge and good road infrastructure
Economy: Agriculture
Economy: Mineral Production
Very little due to the division of southern Bihar into the separate state of Jharkhand
Most mineral production takes place in Jharkhand
Some Minerals Produced
– Coal
– Bauxite
– Dolomite
Economy: Mineral Production
Economy: Attempts at
Industrialization
Oil refinery in Barauni
Motor scooter plant at Fatuha
Power plant at Muzaffarpur
Attempt to bring in
I C T in Bihar recently.
Polity
Bicameral Legislature – Upper-house Legislative Council
– Lower-house Legislative Assembly
Governor appointed by president of India – Head of state
Real executive power rests with Chief Minister
7 administrative divisions and 39 divisions
Each division has a divisional commissioner
District magistrate and collector in each division
Sub divisional officer in each of the 76 subdivisions
Polity (cont’d)
High court at Patna
– Chief justice and several other justices
– District courts and sub divisional courts, and village councils
Currently 2 main political formations
– NDA
Janata Dal and Bharatiya Janata Party
– Rashtriya Janata Dal
Indian National Congress
Past Polity
1995 – Lalu Prasad Yadav became chief minister – Corruption charges forced his resignation but
anointed his wife CM through proxy
– Led to deterioration of administration
2005 and 2010 – In 2005, the RJD [Lalu] was voted out of power and
replaced by a coalition headed by his former ally, Nitish Kumar. In 2010 also his group won 206 out of 243.Bihar e-Governance Services & Technologies (BeST) and the Government of Bihar have initiated a unique program to establish a center of excellence called Bihar Knowledge Center, a finishing school.
By 2012, Bihar had earned acclaim for its technology-
related gains, and the government of India recognized the
turnaround through e-governance awards. Kumar’s efforts
earned him the nickname Sushasan Babu, or Mr. Good
Governance.
Still, significant limitations remained: lack of integration
among information and communications systems prevented
proper coordination across departments. Lack of electricity
and Internet connectivity in many areas prevented citizens
from taking full advantage of the services.
Trained as an engineer, Nitish Kumar believed in
the power of technology to improve governance.
As India’s minister of railways from 2001 to 2004,
he had initiated an online ticketing process for the
100 million people who traveled by train each
year. His emphasis on ICT as a tool for
administrative reform built on broader technology
shifts taking place in India.
Bihar is pioneer in the field of yoga with its internationally
renowned institute Bihar School of Yoga in Munger. Bihar
e-Governance Services & Technologies (BeST) and the
Government of Bihar have initiated a unique program to
establish a center of excellence called Bihar Knowledge
Center, a finishing school to equip students with the latest
skills and customised short-term training programs at an
affordable cost. The center aims to attract the youth of
the state to improve their technical, professional, and soft
skills, to meet the current requirements of the industrial
job market
Recent Educational Development
Bihar, had female literacy at 53.3%. The
government has established educational
institutions to improve this.
Bihar has a National Institute of Technology (NIT)
in Patna and an Indian Institute of Technology
(IIT) in Patna. A recent survey by Pratham rated
the absorption of their teaching by the Bihar
children better than those in other states.
Said by ‘Aspiring minds’
The best talent pool of engineers is in Delhi,
Bihar and Jharkhand says the National
Employability Report of Engg Graduates, 2014
by Aspiring Minds, which makes Bihar one of the
top three states producing best Engg Graduates
in terms of Quality and Employability.
Culture of Bihar: Festivals
Chhath
– Worship of the Sun God
Teej
– Worship of Goddess Parvati
Bihar has contributed to Indian (Hindustani) classical
music. Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan was from Bihar,
who, however, left Bihar at an early age. Dhrupad singers
like the Malliks (of the Darbhanga Gharana), and the
Mishras (of the Bettiah Gharana), who were patronised by
the Zamindars of Darbhanga and Bettiah respectively, have
produced masters like Ram Chatur Mallik, Abhay Narayan
Mallik, and Indra Kishore Mishra. While not as well-known
as those of the Dagar school of Dhrupad, these masters
have kept the Dhrupad tradition in perhaps the purest
Status of Women
Women must have a dowry before they get married.
A woman's possessions go to her husband, and then upon her death, to her children.
•A woman in Bihar has very few possessions, usually no education, and very little autonomy.
Bihar Cultural
Religion also played a much more important role (long ago) e.g., Buddha, Mahavira
Construction of major architectural works is more common—specifically temples and shrines
Advancement of leisure and arts
Further stratification of the social classes
Ideology: Three Main Religions
(not always followed) in Bihar
Hinduism
Buddhism
Jainism
Ideology: Hinduism
The third largest religion in the world with diverse sects.
Five Basic Tenets:
– Dharma (ethics or duties)
– Samsara (the continuing cycle of rebirth)
– Karma (action and reaction)
– Moksha (liberation from samsara)
– Yogas (paths or practices)
Ideology: Buddhism
Governed by the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama known as Buddha – Rebirth
– Karma
– The Four Noble Truths There is suffering
There is a cause of suffering
There is the cessation of suffering
There is a way leading to the cessation of suffering
Often described as a way of life instead of a religion.
Ideology: Jainism
Founded in the 6th century B.C. in ancient Bihar.
Three main tenets: – Ahimsa (non- violence): Towards both humans and
animals. Leads to the propagation of vegetarianism
– Aparigraha (non- attachment): Freeing the soul through the disregard of material objects.
– Anekantwad (relativity): No absolute truth. Everything is possible.
People now tend to vote more for issues such as
good governance,
improvement in the material conditions of people
betterment of and universal access to health and
educational facilities and
universal provisions of basic amenities.
Structurally, the population of Bihar constitutes of castes
which are durable mode of social identity and have become
the basis for socio-political organisation.
Kinship: Kinship Groups
Ahirs
Endogamous/ exogamous clans
Marriages arranged
Marriage of first cousins prohibited
Wed at time of marriage
Bride moves into household of husband’s family
Extended family
Divorce allowed but requires approval of the caste’s council
Mundas
Endogamous/Exogamous
Don’t marry before the boy can build a plow and the girl can weave and spin
Marriages negotiated and depend on consent of involved parties
Bride-price paid in both cash and goods
Take up residence in husband’s fathers house
Nuclear family preferred
Oraons
Village and clan exogamy
Patrilineal extended family
5-7 members
Arranged marriages most common
Bride price paid
Divorce rare as marriage is seen as lifelong undertaking
Social Stratification: Bihar’s Caste System
India’s Caste System: describes the social stratification and social
restrictions in society, ―in which social classes are defined by thousands of endogamous hereditary groups, often termed as jātis or castes‖.
―The Indian Constitution has outlawed caste-based discrimination, and caste barriers have mostly broken down in large cities. However, it still persist in rural areas of the country, and in various forms, does continue to play a major role in Indian society and politics‖.
Dominant Castes of Bihar
Different Castes: Brahman, Bhumihar, Rajput, Banias and Kayastha are the dominant castes
Kayasthas and Banias are the two important caste groups in the cities and towns.
The Brahmans and Kshatriyas belong to the same racial stock, but the Kshatriyas ―are more mixed because of their marriage with various stocks of people‖.
The Kayasthas are prominent in all modern professional occupations and are generally given the status of elite castes.
The Banias predominate in trade and commerce.
Bhumihars are regarded as a caste different from the Brahmans and Rajputs. However members of all these caste groups have occupied prominent positions in the educational and political life of the state.
Kayasthas Banias Bhumihars, Rajputs or
Brahmans
Lower Castes of Bihar
The lower castes consist of the Koiri, Kurmi, Kahar, and the Ahir
There are many Caste rivalries and prejudices because of narrow-mindedness; however, modern day education systems and efforts the enlightened youth, ―are gradually doing away with the prejudices‖.
The Ahirs (Yadavas), Kurmis and Koiris are land-owning castes, and they live in the plains of Bihar.
The Ahirs or Yadavas are agricultural caste. Cattle-raising is their
hereditary occupation, and most are settled cultivators. Some still roam about selling milk and ghee.
Koiris are agriculturists. They are distinguished from Kurmis and
other purely cultivating castes by their skill in growing vegetables and other special cash crops. They work as market-gardeners in the neighborhoods of the big towns. Many Koiris are rich land owners that still hold occupancy rights.
Ahirs = raise cattle Koiris
Most notable castes of Bihar
The most notable castes are Bhumij, Chamar (Mochi), Dhobi, Dom, Dusadh, Musahar, Nat and Pasi.
Their means of livelihood is hard manual labor or menial labor.
About 92 percent of the total population of these castes lives in the village while those in the towns and cities are slum-dwellers who work on pavements (much like our homeless). Although education is free for them, the vast majority of them still illiterate.
The Musahars are field laborers whose wages are paid in cash or in kind according to the traditional custom in the villages.
The Dusadhs are of aboriginal descent. A large number of them serve as watchmen. They are also employed as village messengers, grooms, elephant drivers and wood cutters and porters.
The Dhanuks are servant class found in every place where there are high caste Hindus. They perform menial household duties along with their family. Some Dhanuks
are also cultivators while the females act as maid servants.
Musahars Dusadhs Dhanuks
Caste System Today
Prejudice against the lower castes is gradually disappearing in Bihar.
In the country districts, the influence of Zamindar (land lords) families is still considerable, but their influence is based more on their position as landlords than as persons of title.
The middle class is made up of professionals that for the most part have done away with caste prejudices.
Marriage is somewhat different: though inter-caste marriages are now relatively common in India, many Indians still consider caste a major criterion for matrimonial choices.
Biharis still prefer to go in for arranged marriages in their own community and caste.
Bihar: Music
Folksongs dealing with everyday life
– sohar - performed during childbirth
– sumangali - associated with wedding
– ropnigeet - performed during the season of sowing paddy
– katnigeet - performed during the paddy harvesting season
Works Cited
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_caste_system
http://www.country-studies.com/india/veiling-and-the-seclusion-of-women.html
http://orion.oac.uci.edu/~pranjan/bihar.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bihar
http://www.bihar.org.in/economy/
―Bihar.‖ Encyclopedia Britannica.
Nolan, Patrick. Human Societies. Paradigm Publishers. Boulder, CO. 2004
http://www.webindia123.com/bihar
http://gov.bih.nic.in/Profile/CensusStats-01.htm
http://www.infochangeindia.org/bookandreportsst96.jsp
http://www.newkerala.com/states-of-india/bihar.php