Nitish Kumar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nitish Kumar
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Kumar in 2022
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| 22nd Chief Minister of Bihar | |
| Assumed office 22 February 2015 |
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| Governor | |
| Deputy | Tejashwi Yadav (2015–2017) (2022–2024) Sushil Kumar Modi (2017–2020) Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi (2020–2022) Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha (2024-Present) |
| Preceded by | Jitan Ram Manjhi |
| Constituency | MLC |
| In office 24 November 2005 – 20 May 2014 |
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| Deputy | Sushil Kumar Modi (until 16 June 2013) |
| Preceded by | President's rule |
| Succeeded by | Jitan Ram Manjhi |
| Constituency | MLC |
| In office 3 March 2000 – 10 March 2000 |
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| Preceded by | Rabri Devi |
| Succeeded by | Rabri Devi |
| Constituency | MLC |
| Union Minister of Railways | |
| In office 20 March 2001 – 21 May 2004 |
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| Prime Minister | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Preceded by | Mamata Banerjee |
| Succeeded by | Lalu Prasad Yadav |
| In office 19 March 1998 – 5 August 1999 |
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| Prime Minister | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Preceded by | Ram Vilas Paswan |
| Succeeded by | Mamata Banerjee |
| Union Minister of Agriculture | |
| In office 27 May 2000 – 21 July 2001 |
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| Prime Minister | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Preceded by | Sunder Lal Patwa |
| Succeeded by | Ajit Singh |
| In office 22 November 1999 – 3 March 2000 |
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| Prime Minister | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Preceded by | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Succeeded by | Sunder Lal Patwa |
| Union Minister of Surface Transport | |
| In office 13 October 1999 – 22 November 1999 |
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| Prime Minister | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Preceded by | M. Thambidurai |
| Succeeded by | Jaswant Singh |
| In office 14 April 1998 – 5 August 1999 |
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| Prime Minister | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Preceded by | Jaswant Singh |
| Succeeded by | Rajnath Singh |
| National President of Janata Dal (United) | |
| Assumed office 29 December 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Lalan Singh |
| In office 10 April 2016 – 27 December 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Sharad Yadav |
| Succeeded by | RCP Singh |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 March 1951 Bakhtiarpur, Bihar, India |
| Political party | Janata Dal (United) |
| Other political affiliations |
National Democratic Alliance (2024–present; 2017–2022; 1999–2013) Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (2023–2024) Samata Party (until 2005) Janata Dal (1989–1994) |
| Spouse |
Manju Sinha
(m. 1973; died 2007) |
| Children | 1 |
| Parents |
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| Alma mater | Bihar College of Engineering (BE) |
| Signature |  |
| Source: [1] | |
Nitish Kumar (born 1 March 1951) is an important Indian politician. He has served as the Chief Minister of Bihar many times, holding the position for his 9th term since 2015. He is known as Bihar's longest-serving chief minister.
Nitish Kumar leads the Janata Dal (United) political party. Before this, he was a Union Minister and a member of the Samata Party. He began his political journey with the Janata Dal in 1985, becoming an MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly). In 1994, he co-founded the Samata Party with George Fernandes. He later became a Union Minister in the government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In 2003, his party merged into the Janata Dal (United), and he became its leader. In 2005, he became Chief Minister of Bihar, leading a coalition government.
In 2010, his government won a huge victory in the state elections. Later, he changed alliances several times. He resigned as Chief Minister in 2014 but returned in 2015. His party won the state elections that year as part of a "Grand Alliance." In 2017, he left that alliance and joined another. In 2022, he rejoined the "Grand Alliance," and in January 2024, he changed alliances again, returning to the National Democratic Alliance.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Nitish Kumar was born on 1 March 1951 in Bakhtiarpur, Bihar. His father, Kaviraj Ram Lakhan Singh, was a traditional doctor. His mother, Parmeshwari Devi, was from Nepal. Nitish belongs to the Kurmi community, which is mainly involved in farming. People sometimes call him 'Munna'.
He studied Electrical Engineering at Bihar College of Engineering (now NIT Patna) and graduated in 1972. He briefly worked for the Bihar State Electricity Board before focusing fully on politics. He married Manju Kumari Sinha in 1973. They had one son. Manju Sinha passed away in 2007.
Political Journey
Nitish Kumar is known as a socialist politician. In his early days, he was influenced by leaders like Ram Manohar Lohia and Jayaprakash Narayan. He took part in Jayaprakash Narayan's movement from 1974 to 1977. He then joined the Janata party. Unlike some politicians who are great at attracting large crowds, Kumar is known for being a skilled communicator.
Kumar first won an election to the state assembly from Harnaut in 1985. He initially supported Lalu Prasad Yadav as the opposition leader in the Bihar Assembly in 1989. However, Kumar later formed an alliance with the BJP in 1996. He won his first seat in the Lok Sabha (India's Parliament) from Barh that year.
The Janata Dal party split several times. In 1994, Kumar and George Fernandes left to form the Samata Party. In 2003, the Samata Party merged with another group to form the Janata Dal (United), and Kumar became its leader. In the 1999 national elections, the new alliance of BJP and JD(U) performed well in Bihar.
Serving as a Union Minister
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Nitish Kumar served as a Union Minister in the central government under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
- He was briefly the Union Minister for Railways and Minister for Surface Transport in 1998–99.
- He also served as the Minister for Agriculture.
- In August 1999, he resigned from his railway minister post after a train accident, taking responsibility.
- During his time as Railway Minister, he introduced important changes. These included internet ticket booking in 2002 and the "tatkal scheme" for instant bookings.
- From 2001 to 2004, he was again the Union Minister for Railways. In the 2004 national elections, he won from Nalanda but lost from his traditional area, Barh.
Key Initiatives as Chief Minister
When Nitish Kumar first became Chief Minister, improving law and order was a big challenge. There were many criminal groups active, and kidnapping was a major problem. He introduced the Arms Act and set up special courts to quickly punish those who broke this law. This helped reduce the use of illegal weapons.
He also hired retired army officers and soldiers to create a special police unit called the Special Auxiliary Police (SAP). This unit helped deal with extremist groups in the state. He also formed a "Special Vigilance Unit" (SVU) to investigate corruption among high-level government officials. These steps helped improve safety and reduce crime.
To ensure fair police recruitment, he introduced a "Carbon Copy system" for written exams. This prevented cheating and ensured that only qualified candidates were selected. These changes led to a significant drop in crime rates.
Empowering Backward Communities
Nitish Kumar worked to support and empower the "Extremely Backward Castes" (EBCs) in Bihar. These are communities that were often left behind. His government introduced a plan for 50% reservation for women in local self-governance bodies (Panchayati Raj). This plan also included a 20% reservation for EBC members in these bodies. These quotas helped increase the representation of EBCs in local leadership roles.
His government also announced a plan for 50% reservation in state judicial services. Within this, EBCs were given a 21% share. This step aimed to bring more people from these communities into the lower judiciary. Kumar also promoted EBC leaders within his own party to give them more opportunities.
Promoting Sports
On 29 August 2024, Nitish Kumar opened the Rajgir Sports Complex and Cricket Stadium. This huge complex cost about 750 crore rupees and covers 90 acres of land. It has facilities for over 23 different sports, including a main cricket stadium and eight smaller ones. The goal is to provide a world-class training environment for Bihar's athletes to help them succeed in international events. Soon after it opened, the Asian Hockey Federation announced that the academy would host the Asian Women's Hockey Championship in 2024.
Jeevika Project for Rural Livelihoods
Nitish Kumar's government started the Jeevika project in 2006-07, also known as the Bihar Rural Livelihood Project. This project received support from the World Bank. It focused on helping rural women earn a living. Bank accounts were opened for them, and they received loans to start small businesses. Women were trained and given work based on their skills, often through small groups called cooperatives. These women are known as "Jeevika Didis" (Jeevika Sisters) in Bihar.
The project later expanded. Jeevika Didis began providing financial services in rural areas and even worked as banking agents. Kumar's government also launched 'Didi Ki Rasoi' (Sister's Kitchen). Under this project, women-run kitchens provided fresh, homemade food to schools, hospitals, and government offices. Other states like Gujarat and Karnataka have also adopted similar schemes after studying Bihar's success.
Terms as Chief Minister of Bihar
Nitish Kumar is a member of the Janata Dal (United) party. As Chief Minister, he has focused on improving education, healthcare, and infrastructure. He hired over 100,000 school teachers and ensured doctors worked in rural health centers. He also helped electrify many villages and build roads. His efforts led to a significant reduction in female illiteracy and a doubling of the average income in Bihar.
First Term (2000)
In March 2000, Nitish Kumar became Chief Minister of Bihar for the first time. He was a member of the Samata Party. His alliance had 151 MLAs, while the opposition had 159. Since neither had a clear majority, Nitish Kumar resigned after just 7 days.
Second Term (2005–2010)
After winning the 2005 Bihar Assembly elections, Kumar became Chief Minister. During this time, he focused on both social justice and development for the state.
Third Term (2010–2014)
Kumar's government started programs like giving bicycles to girls who stayed in school. This greatly increased the number of girls attending school and reduced dropout rates.
In 2010, Kumar's party and its allies, the Bharatiya Janata Party, won a huge victory. He became Chief Minister again. This election saw a high turnout of women and young voters. It was considered one of the fairest elections in Bihar's history.
On 17 May 2014, Kumar resigned as Chief Minister. His party had performed poorly in the national elections, winning only 2 seats. He took responsibility for this outcome, and Jitan Ram Manjhi took over.
Fourth Term (2015)
Nitish Kumar served a short fourth term in 2015. He became Chief Minister again on 22 February 2015. This was before the important 2015 Bihar Legislative Assembly election. His party, JD(U), formed a "Grand Alliance" with the RJD and Congress to challenge the BJP.
Fifth Term (2015–2017)
The Grand Alliance won the 2015 Assembly election by a large margin. Nitish Kumar was sworn in as Chief Minister for a record fifth time on 20 November 2015. Tejashwi Yadav became the Deputy Chief Minister.
Sixth Term (2017–2020)
In July 2017, Nitish Kumar resigned as Chief Minister. He then joined the NDA and returned to power within a few hours.
Seventh Term (2020–2022)
Kumar's government highlighted its achievements over 15 years. They managed to win a close election in 2020. The NDA secured a majority, and he was sworn in as Chief Minister for the seventh time.
On 9 August 2022, Kumar resigned as Chief Minister. He announced that his party had rejoined the "Grand Alliance." They formed a new government with the RJD and INC.
Eighth Term (2022–2024)
On 10 August 2022, Nitish Kumar was sworn in as Chief Minister for the eighth time. During this term, the Bihar caste-based survey 2023 was started.
In early 2023, Kumar began his "Samadhan Yatra" (Solution Journey). This was a campaign where he visited different parts of Bihar. The main goal was to check on the progress of government development plans and speed up their implementation. He was often joined by his deputy, Tejashwi Yadav.
On 28 January 2024, Kumar resigned as Chief Minister again. He rejoined the BJP-led NDA alliance.
Ninth Term (2024–Present)
On 28 January 2024, Nitish Kumar was sworn in as the Chief Minister for the ninth time. He broke his alliance with the RJD and Congress to rejoin the BJP-led NDA.
Books About Nitish Kumar
- Single Man: The Life and Times of Nitish Kumar of Bihar by Sankarshan Thakur.
- Nitish Kumar and The Rise of Bihar by Arun Sinha.
Awards and Recognition
Nitish Kumar has received several awards and recognitions for his work:
- Anuvrat Puraskar (2017): For banning alcohol in Bihar.
- JP Memorial Award (2013).
- Ranked 77th in Foreign Policy Magazine's top 100 global thinkers (2012).
- XLRI, Jamshedpur Sir Jehangir Ghandy Medal for Industrial & Social Peace (2011).
- "MSN Indian of the Year 2010".
- NDTV Indian of the Year – Politics (2010).
- Forbes' "India's Person of the Year" (2010).
- CNN-IBN "Indian of the Year Award" – Politics (2010).
- NDTV Indian of the Year – Politics (2009).
- Economics Times "Business Reformer of the Year 2009".
- Polio Eradication Championship Award (2009), by Rotary International.
- CNN-IBN Great Indian of the Year – Politics (2008).
- The Best Chief Minister, according to the CNN-IBN and Hindustan Times State of the Nation Poll (2007).
Images for kids
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Nitish Kumar's signature
