Patna: Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Choudhary on Wednesday said the outward migration of students from Bihar for higher studies, especially in technical subjects, has almost stopped as they are now getting quality education in their own state.Addressing reporters here, Choudhary who also happens to be the minister for science and technology and technical education, said students of the state are getting quality technical education in state’s institutions due to which they are getting better employment opportunities.He also announced that there would soon be an expansion of the state’s cabinet to systematise the working of different departments. CM Samrat Choudhary has already decided to carry forward former CM Nitish Kumar’s works and policies for ensuring all-round development of the state, he said.Elaborating the steps initiated by the govt to improve technical education, the deputy CM said in different engineering colleges of the state, 1,616 regular teachers are working at present against the total of 3,406 sanctioned posts. The department has already asked the BPSC to appoint teachers against 906 vacant posts. The BPSC has also been asked to appoint 273 teachers against vacant posts in govt polytechnics. He further pointed out that 723 instructors and 1,093 lab assistants would also be appointed soon by the Bihar Technical Services Commission.Choudhary furher said several centres of excellence have been created in engineering institutions and the standard of education has been raised, resulting in greater demand for these subjects.He said the total number of sanctioned seats in engineering colleges in the 2025-26 session is 14,553 and the number of seats in govt polytechnics is 17,243. Furthermore, postgraduate (M Tech) teaching on altogether 612 seats in 10 govt engineering colleges of the state has been started in 2024-25 session. He further pointed out that keeping in view the needs of industries, four-year degree courses in 33 disciplines in engineering colleges and three-year diploma courses in 26 disciplines are being imparted.Science and technology department’s secretary Lokesh Kumar Singh further pointed out that high-level centres of excellence in emerging technologies have been set up in all the polytechnics with the support of IIT-Patna in the first phase of Saat Nischaya programme. Work on creating 33 centres of excellence in the second phase of the Saat Nischay programme is in progress, he said.Singh further said digital planetarium/space and astronomy education centres and multi-dimensional labs were being set up in selected cities of the state. Besides, the department is also ensuring suitable placement of students of technical institutions. As many as 15,246 students have been provided jobs in 2015-25, he added.
