Bihar to Upgrade 54 Colleges as Centres of Excellence Under Saat Nischay-3

Bihar government has shortlisted 54 colleges and institutions to be developed as Centres of Excellence under the ‘Saat Nischay-3’ programme. This prohramme is launched by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The plan aims to improve academic standards and create subject-specific expert centres across the state. According to the Bihar Higher Education Department this initiative will help students access quality education within the state and reduce the migration of students to other states.

What the Centres of Excellence Initiative Includes

Under the Saat Nischay-3 education initiative, selected institutions will be upgraded with better academic infrastructure and specialized departments.

Key Features of the Plan

• 54 colleges and institutions selected across Bihar
• Each college will become an expert centre for a specific subject
• Improvement in academic infrastructure and research facilities
• Strengthening of faculty expertise and subject specialization
• Better access to quality education within Bihar

According to Higher Education Director N.K. Agrawal, the goal is to upgrade reputed institutions so they become centres of excellence in specific disciplines.

Institutions Selected in the First Phase

Several prominent colleges have been identified for development in the first phase (2026-27).

Key institutions include,

• Patna University
• Patna Women’s College
• Patna Science College
• Patna College
• Magadh Mahila College
• College of Arts and Crafts, Patna

Colleges affiliated with major universities across the state are also included.

These universities include,

• Pataliputra University
• Magadh University
• Lalit Narayan Mithila University
• Veer Kunwar Singh University
• Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University
• Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University

The selected institutions are located across districts including Gaya, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, Purnea and West Champaran.

Second Phase Expansion (2027-2030)

The second phase of the programme will run from 2027 to 2030 and will expand the initiative to additional districts.

These districts include,

• Nawada
• Arwal
• Jehanabad
• Buxar
• Kaimur
• Siwan
• Gopalganj
• Araria
• Kishanganj
• Vaishali

The expansion will increase the geographical coverage and further strengthen the state’s higher education network.

Budget Allocation and Additional Plans

For the 2026-27 financial year, the Bihar government has allocated ₹320 crore for the programme.

Additional measures under Saat Nischay-3 include,

• Establishing degree colleges in blocks without higher education institutions
• Strengthening academic activities across universities
• Integrating the state’s linguistic academies to improve effectiveness
• These reforms aim to modernize higher education infrastructure and create stronger academic ecosystems within Bihar.

Expected Impact on Higher Education in Bihar

The government expects the programme to,

• Improve quality of higher education
• Build subject-specific academic expertise
• Strengthen research and innovation
• Reduce student migration to other states
• Expand educational access across districts

Question

Q. Under which programme will Bihar develop 54 institutions as Centres of Excellence?

A) Skill India Mission
B) Saat Nischay-3
C) National Education Mission
D) Digital Bihar Initiative