Two years after initiating his ambitious Jan Suraaj Padayatra in Bihar's West Champaran district in October 2022, Prashant Kishor, popularly known as PK, formally launched the Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) in Patna on October 2, 2024. Among the many pressing issues plaguing Bihar, PK has focused his campaign on addressing the state's dilapidated 'education system'. His approach to tackling this critical challenge has failed to resonate with the electorate due to his controversial and unfathomable strategies. A major factor appears to be his contentious decision to link educational reforms with lifting the liquor ban in the state—a move widely regarded as politically ill-advised. Bihar incurs an annual loss of nearly 4,000 crores owing to the liquor ban, PK plans to lift the ban to divert this fund toward development in school education. This strategy has alienated many voters and hindered his ability to establish a meaningful connection with the electorate.
While data highlights the urgent need for sweeping reform in Bihar's education sector, PK's strategy has been criticized as neither ethically sound nor politically prudent.
According to a published report, only 32.57% of the state's population in the 16-17 age group were enrolled in school, and only 44.07% of students were transitioning from secondary to higher secondary. About 31% of schools did not have libraries, and even if they had libraries, children in 36.6% of schools were not using the library (which adds up to about 70%), and about 92% of schools did not have computers. A meagre 38% of schools had playgrounds, 40% had electricity, 53.38% of schools had boundary walls, and the rest were unsafe. In school education, the state’s continual low performance is worrying. As per the Performance Grading Index 2021-22, Bihar was ranked fourth among all states and UTs. The state also ranked among the bottom five in the School Education Quality Index (2019) by NITI Aayog.
In such a grim scenario, one might anticipate a campaign focused on education reforms to resonate strongly with voters. However, PK appears to be facing difficulties in capturing the imagination of the electorate in Bihar.
During his inaugural speech, PK stressed the need for a world-class education in Bihar, saying that 5 lakh crore rupees would be needed to improve schools over the next decade. He further explained the blueprint to generate revenue for this reform. He said, “if Bihar has to have a world-class education system, Rs 5 lakh crore is needed in the next 10 years. Lifting the prohibition on alcohol in Bihar would reallocate resources towards the development of an updated educational framework, as opposed to supplementing the general budget for expenditures such as security for officials and infrastructure projects including roadways, water supply, and power networks’’.
Though it is true that under the existing GST regime, the state governments are left with a few avenues to raise funds for their projects, nonetheless, to announce that revenue from the liquor will be used to improve schools doesn’t sound politically prudent. It has also allowed his rivals to question his strategy. The ruling JD-U has attacked him for being estranged to the public sentiments and dared him to start a signature campaign from Patna Women's College to lift the liquor ban in Bihar.
PK should realize that the liquor ban is an emotive issue among women voters as it is connected with their security. According to the report published by the Lancet, Bihar's liquor ban prevented 21 lakhs of intimate partner violence in a year. This report indicates that Bihar's prohibition on liquor resulted in 2.1 million fewer instances of intimate partner violence within a single year. It is also true that no party can succeed in Bihar without the support of women voters because it is generally men who migrate for employment, and women voters de facto outnumber men in Bihar in the elections. In the elections to Lok Sabha 2024, women’s turnout in the state was 59.45 % against 53 % participation by men.
However, what is needed is that he separates his 'Education Model' from the liquor ban. Besides liquor, the Bihar government can raise significant revenues from sand mining, textile, manufacturing, cement industries, makhana production and eco-tourism. These sectors have witnessed promising growth in the last few years. He could announce that he will use revenues from these 'pure' sources by streamlining the revenue collection system to improve school infrastructure. But this would not be enough; he needs to introduce two more progressive reforms to transform primary education in Bihar and create a positive agenda for his party.
There is no denying that the education system has crumbled in Bihar. According to the socio-economic survey report released by the Bihar government in November 2023, Bihar has just 6.11% graduates. Only 9.19% have cleared their secondary examination, and 14.71% have passed Class 10th. Such a pathetic situation cannot be changed through cosmetic changes.
The schools in Bihar not only require infrastructural re-development, it needs a complete overhaul. It necessitates sustained investments on strengthening teacher’s training and development programs, fostering inclusive and diversity driven classrooms cultures, resource mobilization for access to textbooks and integration of ed-tech. Beside these, PK also need to introduce the two revolutionary reforms.
The first, undoubtedly a radical reform, was suggested by the Allahabad High Court in 2015 while adjudicating writs related to public schools in Uttar Pradesh. The Court was convinced that piecemeal measures did not bring the required reform. Thus, it directed the UP Government to make laws for compulsory enrolment of the children of all MLAs and bureaucrats in government schools so that they could realize the pathetic conditions of such schools. The Court further observed that government servants would ensure that state-run schools would function well if they sent their children to such educational institutions. The then Akhilesh's government did not incorporate such suggestions, and neither Mayawati, who was in opposition, raised any voice for its implementation.
Similar recommendations were made by a Niti Ayog-sponsored study in 2016 . Still, since no law forces all MLAs and bureaucrats to send their children to government schools, these piecemeal measures are far from enough. PK should include in his agenda a commitment to introduce a bill in the Assembly that would mandate all MLAs and bureaucrats to enrol their children in government schools.
The second, crucial educational reform for public schools in Bihar involves shifting the instructional medium from Hindi to English. In the contemporary global landscape, English language proficiency markedly enhances life opportunities and facilitates greater success. Given the rapid technological evolution, encompassing the transition from landlines to smartphones and the advent of Artificial Intelligence, students without an English-language education will encounter substantial obstacles. They are likely to experience difficulty in global competition and may be relegated to employment in less-skilled sectors.
Many argue that the mother tongue best suits a child in learning the basics, but only the poor people admit their wards to government-run vernacular schools. It is ironic that leaders, bureaucrats, and academics who advocate for vernacular language as the language of learning at the primary school level send their children to English medium schools. It's a well settled norm that English has become a global passport to higher education and subsequent job opportunities. Acknowledging these realities, Congress-led Himachal Pradesh has recently decided to change the medium of instruction to the English language in state government schools.
Bihar stands at a crossroads where bold and meaningful reforms in education can transform the lives of millions and set an example for the nation. PK's intent to address the broken education system is commendable, yet his strategy needs a serious recalibration with the aspirations and realities of Bihar. Educational reform cannot be seen through revenue alone - it demands political will, ethical foresight, and a holistic understanding of the state's socio-economic milieu. Money alone cannot reform curriculum, bring equity and ensure grassroots involvement to make education an integral part of state-building.
The Bihar assembly elections are scheduled in November 2025, and PK has ample time to make course corrections and create a better narrative. He must begin by diluting his stance against the liquor ban in Bihar. He should announce that if voted to power, his party will form an expert committee to decide the way forward after talking to all the stakeholders, especially women.
PK can create a transformative narrative by separating his education model from contentious issues like the liquor ban. He must instead focus on implementing progressive reforms like mandatory enrolment of MLAs' and bureaucrats' children in government schools, and transitioning to English as the medium of instruction. PK has sufficient time to revamp his approach and present an inclusive, constructive plan for improving schools in Bihar. As Bihar goes to polls later this year, the state awaits his new strategy, will he deliver meaningful change for Bihar?
Adnan Asrar has studied LLM in Labour Law & Environment Law from Aligarh Muslim University. Abdullah Ghazali is currently working as an Assistant Professor at Presidency University, Bengaluru.
TA is a Bhopal-based policy and development consulting group. We are on a mission to make the development space more inclusive and democratic for students and professionals. Join us on this mission.
