Bihar: New Nitish Government Eases Eligibility for Bus Conductors; 7th Pass Youth to Drive Their Careers Forward

Patna: In a move aimed at providing greater employment opportunities for underprivileged and academically lagging youth, Bihar’s newly appointed Transport Minister, Shravan Kumar, has reduced the minimum educational requirement for the post of bus conductor (Khalasi) from 10th pass to 7th pass.

Minister Kumar, who assumed office recently, said the decision is intended to connect students who could not complete higher studies with government jobs, ensuring broader access to employment.

Upon taking charge, Minister Kumar held a high-level review meeting with senior departmental officials, including Additional Chief Secretary Mihir Kumar Singh and State Transport Commissioner Abhishek Dwivedi. Following the discussions, the historic decision to lower the qualification for bus conductors was finalized.

Driving Training Expansion
Alongside this, Minister Kumar announced the construction of four new Institutes of Driving Training and Research (IDTR) across the state in Banka/Bhagalpur, Purnia, Bettiah, and Nalanda. Presently, Bihar operates only two IDTR centers in Patna and Aurangabad.

The minister also directed improvements in transport operations, including construction of driving test tracks, upgrading facilities at bus stations, enhancing cleanliness and safety, removal of illegal encroachments on bus station land, and implementation of driver welfare schemes—covering health insurance, life insurance, uniforms, and pensions.

Fleet and Route Management
In addition, Minister Kumar instructed the state transport corporation to expedite the auction of old and dilapidated buses rather than scrapping them, thereby streamlining the fleet and supporting the acquisition of new vehicles. The government plans to operate buses on all major routes to provide affordable transport options to passengers.

Officials present during the review included Additional Secretary Praveen Kumar, Bihar State Road Transport Corporation Administrator Atul Kumar Verma, and Joint Secretary Krityanand Ranjan, among others.