In a significant move ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday announced that priority will be given to residents of the state in the recruitment of government school teachers. The Education Department has been directed to amend existing rules to implement the new domicile-based policy. However, the CM did not clarify the percentage of posts that would be reserved for domiciles.
“This will be implemented from the Teachers Recruitment Examination (TRE)-4, which will be held this year,” Kumar said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He added that TRE-5 will be conducted in 2026 and instructed officials to hold the Secondary Teachers Eligibility Test (STET) before TRE-5.
Part of broader welfare push by NDA government
The announcement comes amid a flurry of populist measures rolled out by the NDA government in Bihar. These include 125 units of free electricity per month, increased honorariums for support staff in government schools, higher incentives for ASHA workers, a rise in social security pensions, and the creation of dedicated commissions for youths and sanitation workers. Additionally, the Cabinet recently decided that the 35% reservation for women in government jobs, introduced in 2016, will now apply only to permanent residents of Bihar.
Domicile issue fuels political and public mobilisation
The demand for a domicile policy has been gaining traction in the state, with several political leaders and opposition parties endorsing it. Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav has promised 100% domicile-based hiring if the RJD returns to power. Union Minister Chirag Paswan has also expressed support for the policy but questioned the RJD's sincerity on the issue.
Public pressure has also been mounting. On August 1, a large group of job aspirants blocked roads in Patna demanding the immediate implementation of a domicile-based quota in government jobs.
(With inputs from PTI)
