In the land that once gave the world Nalanda and Vikramshila, modern Bihar stands at a tragic crossroads — ruled by leaders who appear to have little regard for learning itself. The upcoming elections have once again exposed a deeper malaise: the normalization of intellectual indifference among those vying to govern one of India’s most deprived states.
The debate is no longer about caste or party; it’s about competence. When Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister, Samrat Choudhary, and Leader of the Opposition, Tejashwi Yadav, both face questions about their academic qualifications, an uncomfortable question arises — can a state trapped in poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy be rescued by leaders who walked out of the classroom early?
Samrat Choudhary’s Dubious Degree
Samrat Choudhary’s election affidavit claims he studied “up to class 7th” — a humble beginning, until another document surfaced claiming he holds a Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) from a university in California. The claim was publicly challenged by political strategist Prashant Kishor, who asked how a man who did not clear class 10 could receive a doctorate.
Choudhary dismissed the controversy as politically motivated. Yet, the issue isn’t about the legitimacy of his certificate — it’s about credibility and transparency. When a Deputy Chief Minister’s educational history is ambiguous, public faith inevitably erodes. Education is not just personal data; it is a measure of how seriously a leader treats knowledge, truth, and responsibility.
Tejashwi Yadav: From Cricket Field to Political Pitch
Across the aisle, Tejashwi Yadav, heir to the RJD legacy fares little better. He is widely reported to have studied only up to the ninth grade before dropping out to pursue cricket. He later joined politics full-time after a brief and uneventful stint with Delhi Daredevils in the IPL.
For years, Tejashwi’s educational record has faced scrutiny, yet his party treats the matter with casual indifference. In a state where government schools crumble and dropout rates soar, it is ironic and tragic that one of Bihar’s most powerful politicians is himself a symbol of unfinished education.
When both the ruling and opposition camps are led by men who never completed school, what message does it send to the millions of Bihari youth struggling to stay in class?
A State Failing Its Children
Bihar’s literacy rate hovers around 74%, the second lowest in India. Over 12 lakh children between ages 6–13 remain out of school. Youth unemployment stands above 17%, far higher than the national average.
These are not abstract numbers — they represent broken classrooms, empty stomachs, and dashed aspirations. When leaders undervalue education, it becomes easier for the state to neglect it. Budgets shrink. Policies drift. Political speeches replace reform. The result is that Bihar continues to export its best minds to Delhi and Mumbai, while its villages remain trapped in intellectual stagnation.
Politics Without Preparation
Supporters often argue that politics doesn’t need degrees. True — leadership isn’t about certificates. But neither is ignorance a qualification.
Governance today demands literacy in law, economics, technology, and administration. When leaders lack these basics, bureaucracy fills the gap and democracy becomes dependent on civil servants instead of elected visionaries.
A well-educated leader need not be a scholar, but must at least represent a culture of curiosity and accountability. The crisis in Bihar is not that its leaders are undereducated but they show no embarrassment about it. The absence of shame reflects a collapse of standards.
A Betrayal of Bihar’s Legacy
It’s a bitter irony that the land that once taught Asia now elects leaders who barely completed school. Bihar’s civilizational pride was built on learning — on Nalanda’s flame that once lit half the world. That spirit has withered into a politics of convenience, where intellect is mocked and populism paraded as wisdom.
Bihar’s youth deserve better than leaders who left the classroom long before understanding what it meant. A state drowning in unemployment cannot be led by men who never faced a board exam. Poverty cannot be tackled by those who treat education as optional.
Until Bihar demands leaders who embody progress through conduct, competence, and a commitment to learning, the dream of an educated, empowered Bihar will remain what it has long been — a syllabus left unfinished.
