The Bihar Government has announced that degree colleges will be established in all 534 blocks of the State under the fourth resolve, "Unnat Shiksha, Ujjwal Bhavishya" (Advanced Education – Bright Future) of the Saat Nischay-3 Programme (2025–30). In the first phase, colleges will be opened in 213 blocks that currently lack any constituent or affiliated degree college, with academic sessions scheduled to begin from July 2026. Simultaneously, 55 prestigious educational institutions will be upgraded as Centres of Excellence to improve quality, employability, and higher education standards in Bihar.
The decision to establish degree colleges in every block of Bihar marks one of the State's most ambitious higher education expansion initiatives. The policy seeks to address the longstanding issue of regional disparities in access to higher education, particularly in rural and educationally backward areas where students often have to travel long distances to pursue undergraduate education.The first phase focuses on the 213 blocks that presently do not have a constituent or affiliated degree college. By ensuring that every block has at least one higher education institution, the government aims to make higher education geographically accessible, especially for girls, who frequently face mobility, safety, and socio-economic constraints in pursuing college education outside their local areas.The initiative forms part of the fourth resolve – "Unnat Shiksha, Ujjwal Bhavishya" under the broader Saat Nischay-3 Programme, which aims to transform Bihar into a developed State through investments in education, employment, infrastructure, and human resource development. Expansion of higher education infrastructure is expected to contribute to increased Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), improved human capital, and greater workforce participation.Alongside physical expansion, the government has announced the development of 55 existing educational institutions as Centres of Excellence. These institutions will undergo planned and systematic upgradation based on consultations with experienced teachers, academicians, and students. The objective is to provide employment-oriented education, improve academic quality, encourage innovation, and restore the reputation of Bihar's premier educational institutions.The initiative is further supported by substantial financial commitments in the Bihar Budget 2026–27, where the Education Department and the newly created Higher Education Department together received an allocation of ₹68,216.95 crore. Such investments demonstrate the government's prioritisation of education as a key driver of socio-economic transformation.The Budget also complements this initiative through proposals such as establishing one Model School in every block and developing an Education City, thereby creating an integrated educational ecosystem from school to higher education.Institutionally, the initiative gains additional significance because Bihar has recently created a dedicated Higher Education Department, separating higher education administration from the broader education sector. This is expected to improve policy formulation, implementation, governance, and monitoring of universities and colleges.From a governance perspective, the programme is expected to reduce educational inequalities, improve regional balance, promote women's education, generate employment through creation of teaching and non-teaching positions, and strengthen Bihar's long-term human capital development.
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Programme | Saat Nischay-3 (2025–30) |
| Resolve | Unnat Shiksha, Ujjwal Bhavishya |
| Total Blocks | 534 |
| First Phase | 213 blocks without degree colleges |
| Academic Session | From July 2026 |
| Centres of Excellence | 55 educational institutions |
| Budget Allocation (Education + Higher Education) | ₹68,216.95 crore |
| Department | Allocation |
|---|---|
| Education Department | ₹60,204.61 crore |
| Higher Education Department | ₹8,012.34 crore |
| Total | ₹68,216.95 crore |
Fourth Resolve – "Unnat Shiksha, Ujjwal Bhavishya"Focus Areas:
A Centre of Excellence is an institution identified for achieving high standards in teaching, research, innovation, infrastructure, governance, and skill development.
Gross Enrolment Ratio refers to the total enrolment in higher education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the population in the official age group corresponding to higher education.
Updated – 05 February 2026 | 12:23 PMNews Source: