Not just jobs, Bihar youth seek social equity & better infra

Patna: With days left for the new govt to take charge, Bihar youths have sought not just jobs but fundamental social and infrastructural change, urging the incoming administration to tackle persistent challenges — ranging from employment to health and education — from the outset.Sohail Ahmed from Purnia seeks to address one of the root causes of Bihar’s problems — an inflated population. Increasing literacy rates and grassroots birth-control awareness are essential for easing the population pressure, he says.Addressing social barriers, Asad Ali from Begusarai identifies caste politics as the chief obstacle to real development. “Even as the govts changed, the mindset of people remained the same.

People just see their caste and vote for them,” he says, however, urging for a greater minority representation and active measures against discrimination in all sectors.Meanwhile, scepticism about political promises remains high. Kumari Shweta of Patna City dismisses broad employment pledges by the Congress as a “hoax and an impossibility”, insisting jobs must be based on qualifications.Ahmed highlights the state’s unutilised industrial potential.

“The ‘makhana’ (foxnut) industry is such a big and unique scope for the state, but the govt did not utilise its capabilities to the fullest, which would have led to more employment,” he says. He also calls for expansion of secondary-sector jobs and halting “rampant disguised employment” that contributes to Bihar having the “lowest per capita income in the country”.Saumya Snehal of Hanuman Nagar, Patna, insists the new govt prioritises skill development for youth, particularly in IT sector, through targeted workshops to improve career prospects.Voices concerns over migration of talent as well as poor infrastructure in the state capital, Aniket Sinha of Jagdeo Path says, “There are no good higher education institutes in the state, which is why the youth is forced to migrate. Securing a hospital bed in Patna is a hassle owing to inadequate management and cleanliness. Bihar needs an educated govt, so maybe Jan Suraaj can be the change that we need,” he says.Himanshu Raj of Kankarnagh, Patna, too criticised the incumbents, saying the govt “only remembers the problems in Bihar and comes up with schemes a year before the elections”. “The NDA talks about change, but why haven’t they deliver when in power? Any party is better than ‘Jungle raj’ (lawlessness), but unfortunately, there’s no option other than the NDA this year. Jan Suraaj was promising, but their last-minute candidate selection changed my perspective; they might end up like AAP’s initial run in Delhi,” he says.Shweta also has concerns about the city, which she says, “has no proper drainage system in place”. She even calls for social reforms for women, demanding menstrual leaves “at least one or two days a month”.