'Ensure 75% attendance at all times': Bihar CM Samrat Chaudhary's diktat to colleges

Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has directed newly appointed assistant professors to ensure at least 75% student attendance in the state’s newly opened degree colleges, warning that infrastructure expansion alone will not improve higher education outcomes without regular class participation.

Addressing an orientation programme for 2,451 newly appointed assistant professors across 211 new degree colleges at Bapu Sabhagar in Patna on Sunday (September 13), Choudhary stressed that attendance is critical to making the government’s higher education push meaningful.

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“Until children come and study in your colleges, the importance of that college will not be realised. Ensure that 75 per cent of students attend your college under all circumstances so that you can teach them,” the CM said, according to ANI.

He said the expansion of degree colleges would help students pursue higher education closer to their homes. “Today, around 8 to 10 lakh children from Bihar are still going outside the state to study,” he said, adding that the expansion of degree colleges would provide students an opportunity to pursue higher education closer to their homes.

211 colleges, 2,451 appointments in a day

Choudhary highlighted that Bihar has become the first state in India to launch 211 state-run degree colleges on a single day, calling it a historic milestone in higher education. Alongside this, the state has appointed 2,451 assistant professors to staff these institutions, marking a major expansion of teaching capacity.

The Chief Minister said quality education and academic expansion will give a new direction to Bihar’s youth, and urged faculty to work with full dedication as they carry the “vital responsibility” of shaping the future of the state’s students.

Professors to receive global training 

In a related announcement, Choudhary said around 100 of the newly appointed assistant professors will be sent to Oxford University and other top global institutions for one-month specialised training, with the state government bearing the entire cost. The initiative aims to expose teachers to modern teaching methods and boost their professional capabilities.

On attendance, the CM said monitoring mechanisms would be strengthened to ensure students attend college regularly, adding that improved attendance is essential for the wider higher education reforms to succeed.

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Some universities in Bihar, such as JP University in Chapra, have already moved to strictly enforce a 75% attendance norm, linking it to exam form eligibility, signalling a broader push to institutionalise the rule.