Nitish Kumar announces Rs 1,000 monthly allowance for unemployed graduates in Bihar

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday unveiled a monthly allowance scheme of Rs 1,000 for unemployed graduates, a move seen as a significant outreach to young and first-time voters ahead of the state Assembly elections.

In a post on X, Kumar reaffirmed his government’s focus on youth empowerment, stressing that job creation has remained a top priority since 2005. He said the state aims to provide employment opportunities to one crore young people over the next five years, through both government and private sectors.

The Chief Minister announced that the Chief Minister’s Self-Help Allowance Scheme, a part of the state’s flagship 7 Nischay program, will now cover unemployed graduates as well. Until now, the scheme was limited to intermediate pass candidates.

Under the revised scheme, graduates between the ages of 20 and 25 who are not studying, employed or self-employed will receive Rs 1,000 per month for a maximum of two years. Kumar said the financial support would enable young people to pursue skill training and prepare for competitive examinations.

“This visionary initiative of the state government aims to provide maximum employment opportunities to the state’s youth. Educated youth here will become self-reliant, skilled, and employable, enabling them to contribute significantly to the development of the state and the nation,” he said.

On Wednesday, Kumar had transferred Rs 5,000 each to 16.04 lakh construction workers as direct financial assistance, a step widely viewed as part of the government’s election push. The transfer coincided with Vishwakarma Puja and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday.

The state disbursed Rs 802.46 crore under the Annual Clothing Assistance Scheme, with funds credited directly into the accounts of construction workers. In the presence of Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, Kumar also launched the Pratigya web portal in Patna to support contractual workers.