Sunil Kumar’s education drive in Bihar focuses on STET 2025, teacher hiring and school reforms

Since assuming office on March 15, 2024, Bihar's Education Minister Sunil Kumar has introduced a series of targeted initiatives to reform the state's education system. A former IPS officer and senior administrator, Kumar previously served as Senior Superintendent of Police in Patna for over six years and retired as Director General-cum-Managing Director of the Bihar Police Building Construction Corporation in 2020.

He joined Janata Dal (United) shortly after retirement and was elected as a Member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly from Bhore.With an academic background in history from St Stephen's College, New Delhi, Kumar has combined administrative experience with policy focus to address long-standing challenges in school and higher education. Since taking charge, his department has concentrated on improving infrastructure, launching large-scale recruitment, modernising institutions, and introducing welfare schemes to make education more inclusive and performance-driven.Teacher recruitment and transfer transparencyA central part of Sunil Kumar's reform strategy is large-scale teacher recruitment. More than 26,000 posts were announced under the Teacher Recruitment Examination (TRE-4). The department has confirmed that any unfilled seats will be carried over to TRE-5, ensuring continuity in the hiring process.To support these efforts, the teacher transfer process has been streamlined and made transparent.

Teachers can now select preferred districts online, a move designed to reduce disruption and improve the consistency of classroom instruction.Improving teaching quality through training and workshopsTeacher development remains a core component of the strategy. Regular training sessions and workshops are being held to enhance classroom performance, especially in government schools. These sessions cover school management, enrolment practices, infrastructure handling, and classroom operations.Focused attention has also been placed on delivering “quality education – challenges and solutions” workshops to address operational and pedagogical gaps.Infrastructure upgrades and student-centric schemesThe department has initiated comprehensive infrastructure development in government schools across Bihar. These improvements aim to provide better classroom environments and support learning outcomes.To boost enrolment and retention — especially among girls — multiple welfare schemes are being implemented. The Mukhyamantri Poshak Yojana and PM Poshan-Shakti Yojana offer nutritious meals to students. Meanwhile, schemes like the Mukhyamantri Balak & Balika Cycle Yojana and uniform distribution initiatives further incentivise school attendance.Academic performance, inclusion, and monitoringStudent performance is being targeted through subject-specific interventions, with particular focus on mathematics and language skills.

Programmes for disabled students are integrated into the mainstream education strategy, with inclusion at the forefront.Inspections and performance monitoring have become standard procedures across schools, strengthening accountability and tracking learning progress in real time.Higher education reform and competitive examsUnder Kumar's leadership, the Bihar Higher Education Transformation Initiative has encouraged universities to modernise their curricula.

University officials have been directed to actively participate in the transformation agenda.The timely organisation of competitive exams such as the State Teacher Eligibility Test (STET) 2025 has opened up new career paths for eligible candidates, reinforcing the link between education and employment.Schemes aligned with long-term visionThe government continues to support various schemes including Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan, Mukhyamantri Paribhraman Yojana, Mukhyamantri Smagra Vidyalaya Vikas Yojana, and Mukhyamantri Protsahan Yojana, forming the backbone of Bihar's broader educational mission.These initiatives reflect a comprehensive effort to raise standards, promote inclusivity, and restore Bihar's educational legacy.