Bihar, one of India’s oldest and culturally richest states, remains among the most underdeveloped despite its immense potential. While it has produced top-ranking civil servants, scholars, and political leaders, the state continues to lag behind in key areas such as infrastructure, health, education, and industrialization. This paradox raises a pressing question: Why is Bihar still backward?
This in-depth analysis explores the top factors contributing to Bihar’s backwardness, backed by historical context, policy analysis, and real-life examples.
1. Historical Neglect and Partition Consequences
Bihar’s decline began in the post-independence era, but the major blow came in 2000, when Jharkhand was carved out, taking with it most of the mineral-rich and industrial zones.
Before Partition, Bihar had several operational industries in Dhanbad, Bokaro, and Jamshedpur.
After Partition, Bihar was left with limited natural resources, no major industries, and a significantly reduced tax base.
This loss created a structural imbalance, making it hard for the remaining region to generate adequate revenue or attract investment.
2. Poor Governance and Corruption
Bihar’s governance issues have been chronic. From the 1990s to mid-2000s, Bihar was infamously known for “Jungle Raj,” a term often used to describe lawlessness and political patronage.
Example: During Lalu Prasad Yadav’s tenure (1990–2005), law and order deteriorated, and organized crime, caste violence, and kidnapping-for-ransom became rampant.
Impact: Businesses fled, infrastructure projects stalled, and even educated youth migrated due to lack of safety and opportunities.
While later governments improved the law and order situation, the legacy of weak institutions and bureaucratic inefficiency continues to plague the system.
3. Lack of Industrialization and Job Creation
Bihar’s economy is primarily agrarian, but with no major industrial hubs, the job market is extremely limited.
Unemployment Rate: As per recent CMIE reports, Bihar consistently ranks among states with the highest unemployment in India.
Youth Migration: Every year, lakhs of youth migrate to Delhi, Mumbai, or Punjab in search of menial jobs. This “brain drain” depletes Bihar’s human capital.
Even sectors like textiles, food processing, and tourism, where Bihar has potential, remain underdeveloped due to a lack of incentives for investors and bureaucratic hurdles.
4. Overdependence on Agriculture Without Modernization
More than 70% of Bihar’s population depends on agriculture, but:
Irrigation is unreliable (mainly rain-fed).
Fragmented landholdings reduce productivity.
There’s little to no access to modern farming techniques or crop insurance.
Example: In 2019, farmers in districts like Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga suffered major crop losses due to floods but received minimal relief due to poor disaster management systems.
Without agro-based industries, even surplus crops don’t fetch fair prices, locking farmers in cycles of poverty.
5. Education Crisis: Quantity Over Quality
While Bihar has made strides in increasing enrollment rates, the quality of education remains abysmal.
Example: The 2015 Bihar Board cheating scandal, where parents were seen scaling school walls to help children cheat, exposed systemic flaws.
Many schools lack basic infrastructure, trained teachers, or even benches and toilets.
The focus on rote learning over skill development means students are often unemployable.
Although Bihar consistently produces UPSC toppers, this success is not reflective of mass education—only a few manage to escape the system and thrive.
6. Caste Politics Over Development Politics
Bihar’s electoral politics have long revolved around caste-based mobilization rather than development agendas.
Political parties prioritize vote banks over long-term vision, leading to inconsistent policies and stalled reforms.
Leaders focus on populist schemes—like free cycles or school uniforms—rather than structural reforms in education, healthcare, or infrastructure.
This has led to a deeply divided society, where social equity has not translated into economic upliftment.
7. Infrastructure Deficit: Roads, Power & Connectivity
Basic infrastructure in Bihar is still below national standards:
Road Density: Many rural areas still have poor connectivity, especially in flood-prone regions.
Power Supply: Until recently, 24×7 electricity was a luxury in many districts.
Transport: Absence of major airports (except Patna) and lack of cargo connectivity reduces trade opportunities.
Even with central government schemes like PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana) and Ujjwala Yojana, implementation has been slow and inconsistent in Bihar.
8. Healthcare System in Crisis
Bihar has some of the worst health indicators in India:
Doctor-to-patient ratio far below WHO norms.
Lack of well-equipped hospitals, especially in rural districts.
Example: The 2019 AES outbreak in Muzaffarpur that claimed the lives of over 150 children exposed the fragility of Bihar’s health infrastructure.
Corruption in public health schemes and delayed government response further worsen the crisis.
9. Natural Disasters and Ecological Vulnerability
Bihar is annually affected by floods in the north and droughts in the south, due to its geographical location between the Himalayas and the Ganga plains.
Every year, floods from rivers like Kosi and Gandak displace thousands and destroy crops.
Poor disaster preparedness and response mechanisms amplify losses.
Frequent calamities discourage private investment and make it harder to develop stable infrastructure.
10. Population Pressure and Land Disputes
Bihar has one of the highest population densities in India. With limited land and resources:
Land disputes are common, often leading to violence.
Government struggles to acquire land for infrastructure or industry.
Basic services like sanitation, education, and healthcare become overstretched.
A Complex Web of Challenges
Bihar’s backwardness is not the result of one or two failures but a complex web of political, social, economic, and historical challenges. Overcoming these will require:
Strong political will
Long-term investment in infrastructure and education
Promotion of industrial hubs and skill development
Transparent and accountable governance
Unless Bihar moves from identity-based politics to performance-based politics, its vast potential will remain untapped. The road ahead is long, but with focused reform, Bihar can rewrite its story.
