18 October 2026
Over 1.93 lakh additional houses were approved under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban 2.0 at the 10th meeting of the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee, held in New Delhi on 16 October 2026.
Bihar was sanctioned 52,866 houses, the second largest share after Uttar Pradesh with 73,182 houses.
The houses were sanctioned under the Beneficiary Led Construction and Affordable Housing in Partnership verticals for urban families of the Economically Weaker Section.
With this approval the cumulative number of houses sanctioned under the Mission reached 20.80 lakh.
The meeting was chaired by Shri Satendra Singh, Secretary, Department of Urban Development, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and representatives of 11 participating States attended.
PMAY-U 2.0, launched in September 2024, offers financial assistance of up to Rs 2.50 lakh each to 1 crore additional urban families with an annual household income of up to Rs 9 lakh.
Houses for Bihar:
52,866
Total approved at the meeting:
Over 1.93 lakh
Cumulative under the Mission:
20.80 lakh
Why it matters for exams: PMAY-U 2.0 verticals, the income ceiling and the sanctioning committee are standard scheme questions, and the State-wise split gives the Bihar figure.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
BLC Beneficiary Led Construction — A vertical where the beneficiary builds the house with assistance.
EWS Economically Weaker Section — The lowest income category eligible under the scheme.
18 October 2026
The National Biodiversity Authority has disbursed Rs 1.19 crore under the Access and Benefit Sharing mechanism to 29 State Biodiversity Boards and one Union Territory Biodiversity Council.
Bihar received Rs 4,82,143, the eighth largest share; Maharashtra received the most at Rs 19,46,149 and the total distributed was Rs 1,18,61,655.
The amount represents contributions received from companies for research and commercial utilisation of agricultural biological resources such as maize, rice, pearl millet and cotton.
Allocations were determined in proportion to the estimated cultivation areas of the respective biological resources, using official agricultural statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
The funds must be used only for activities specified under Section 32(2) of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, which include biodiversity documentation, conservation, research and community livelihoods.
The Authority has so far disbursed more than Rs 203 crore in all, and Rs 86 crore realised from the agriculture sector.
Bihar's share:
Rs 4,82,143
Total disbursed:
Rs 1,18,61,655
Recipients:
29 State Biodiversity Boards and one UT Biodiversity Council
Why it matters for exams: Access and Benefit Sharing under the Biological Diversity Act is a core environment topic, and the State-wise table gives Bihar's figure.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ABS Access and Benefit Sharing — The mechanism by which users of biological resources share benefits with conservers.
18 October 2026
Under the Swachhata Special Campaign 6.0, the Department of Agricultural Research and Education and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research reported cleanliness work at their institutes.
At the ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna, Bihar, the appearance of the premises was enhanced along with protection against harmful insects for people visiting or working in the fields.
At the ICAR-Mahatma Gandhi Integrated Farming Research Institute, Motihari, Bihar, cleanliness and upkeep of the plantation area were taken up.
That activity covered banana plantation rows and adjoining green spaces, with attention to overgrown weeds and unwanted vegetation.
The campaign is aimed at raising awareness of civic duties and promoting hygiene among students for better health.
Campaign:
Swachhata Special Campaign 6.0
Institutes in Bihar:
ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna; ICAR-Mahatma Gandhi Integrated Farming Research Institute, Motihari
Why it matters for exams: The ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region at Patna and the Mahatma Gandhi institute at Motihari are named central institutions located in Bihar.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ICAR Indian Council of Agricultural Research — The apex body for agricultural research and education in India.
18 October 2026
The first Stakeholder Consultation Meeting of the Climate Science into Services for India Forum was held at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, on 17 October 2026.
The Bihar Mausam Seva Kendra took part as one of the State agencies at the consultation.
Other participants included State Disaster Management Authorities, State Environment, Forest and Climate Change Departments, the Pune Municipal Corporation, the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre, the Goa State Pollution Control Board, the Madhya Pradesh Climate Change Centre, the Goa State Climate Change Cell and the Assam Climate Change Management Society.
Representatives of leading non-governmental and civil society organisations also attended.
Forum:
Climate Science into Services for India Forum
Venue:
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune
Bihar agency:
Bihar Mausam Seva Kendra
Why it matters for exams: State climate service centres are a new institutional layer between the India Meteorological Department and district administrations.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IITM Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology — The Pune based institute for tropical weather and climate research.
18 October 2026
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, through MY Bharat and the National Service Scheme, launched Month 2 of the Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat 100 Week Sankalp Abhiyan.
The month opened with the nationwide observance of Yoga evam Aatm-Suraksha Diwas, with 91,179 participants engaged across 183 institutions and community locations.
The day's activities covered self-defence techniques, situational awareness and personal security, particularly for young women.
Women accounted for 57.1 per cent of the total participation.
The Regional Directorates that recorded notable female participation included Patna, along with Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow and Trivandrum.
Partner organisations supporting the activities included the Anuvrat Vishva Bharati Society, BAPS and the Bharat Scouts and Guides.
Participants:
91,179
Institutions and locations:
183
Share of women:
57.1 per cent
Why it matters for exams: MY Bharat and the National Service Scheme are named youth institutions, and the campaign's figures are the kind that appear in scheme questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NSS National Service Scheme — The central youth volunteer programme run through colleges and schools.
18 October 2026
The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report about a government primary school at Kiratpur in Darbhanga district of Bihar.
The report said the school roof continues to be temporarily supported by wooden benches, desks and bricks, after the main pillar holding the school collapsed three to four months earlier.
The Commission said this is a risk to the safety of about 191 students and school staff.
The Commission has issued a notice to the Darbhanga District Magistrate, calling for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks.
Suo motu cognisance means the Commission acts on its own motion, without waiting for a complaint to be filed.
District:
Darbhanga
Place:
Kiratpur
Students at risk:
About 191
Notice issued to:
Darbhanga District Magistrate, report in two weeks
Why it matters for exams: The National Human Rights Commission's power to act suo motu on a media report is a standard polity question, here with a Bihar instance.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NHRC National Human Rights Commission — The statutory body set up under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.
Background
Bihar's biodiversity is in the news this week because the National Biodiversity Authority has just released the State's share of benefits from farm biological resources, and the State's conservation backbone is the Valmiki Tiger Reserve.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority's list of tiger reserves carries Valmiki, Bihar, at serial number 18, with its protected area notified in 1989-90 and the tiger reserve itself notified in 2012.
Its core area measures 598.45 square kilometres and its buffer area 300.93 square kilometres, giving a total of 899.38 square kilometres.
Valmiki is the only tiger reserve in Bihar on that list.
A tiger reserve under the Wild Life (Protection) Act has a core area kept inviolate for tigers and a surrounding buffer where regulated human use is allowed.
Core area:
598.45 sq km
Buffer area:
300.93 sq km
Total area:
899.38 sq km
Protected area notified:
1989-90
Tiger reserve notified:
2012
Why it matters for exams: Valmiki is the one tiger reserve in Bihar and its core and buffer figures are commonly asked in environment questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NTCA National Tiger Conservation Authority — The statutory body that oversees Project Tiger and the tiger reserves.
Background
Bihar's technical institutions are in focus this week alongside the central farm research institutes at Patna and Motihari, and one of the oldest among them is the National Institute of Technology Patna.
The institute states that it was established in 1886 as the Bihar School of Engineering and is the 18th National Institute of Technology recognised by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India.
Its Director is Professor Pradip K. Jain, who joined as a Lecturer at IIT-BHU in 1981 and became Professor in 2001.
The institute offers 10 undergraduate, 21 postgraduate and doctoral programmes across 11 departments, with more than 230 faculty members.
Its stated mission is to nurture innovation through research and to offer undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes.
Founded:
1886, as the Bihar School of Engineering
Rank among NITs:
18th
Programmes:
10 undergraduate, 21 postgraduate, across 11 departments
Director:
Professor Pradip K. Jain
Why it matters for exams: The 1886 founding as the Bihar School of Engineering makes it one of the oldest engineering institutions in India, a common comparison question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NIT National Institute of Technology — A group of centrally funded technical institutes across the States.
Background
Bihar's central institutions are in the news this week because two central farm research institutes in the State reported work under the Swachhata Special Campaign, and one of the central institutions in the State is the Indian Institute of Technology Patna.
The institute describes itself as one of the 23 Indian Institutes of Technology, located at Bihta near Patna in Bihar.
It is recognised as an Institute of National Importance by the Government of India.
It is one of the second generation Indian Institutes of Technology, established by an Act of the Indian Parliament on 6 August 2008.
An Institute of National Importance is a body declared as such by Parliament, which gives it autonomy in setting its own courses and degrees.
Location:
Bihta, near Patna
Established:
6 August 2008, by an Act of Parliament
Among:
The 23 Indian Institutes of Technology
Why it matters for exams: The date of establishment, the Bihta location and the Institute of National Importance tag are the facts asked about the second generation institutes.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
INI Institute of National Importance — A status given by Parliament that lets an institute award its own degrees.