Part I — Bihar at a Glance

Chapter 1: Core Statistics, Symbols, and Administrative Geography

1.1 Formation and Core Identity

Bihar, as a distinct administrative unit, was carved out of the Bengal Presidency on 1 April 1912, when the British created the new province of Bihar and Orissa (with its own Lieutenant-Governor). Orissa was separated into its own province in 1936, leaving Bihar as a standalone province. At independence in 1947, Bihar became a full state of the Indian Union. On 15 November 2000, Bihar was bifurcated to create the new state of Jharkhand, comprising the mineral-rich Chota Nagpur Plateau and Santhal Parganas regions that had been Bihar's southern districts — a division driven by decades of regional demand for a separate tribal-majority state with its own industrial and mineral revenue base.

1.2 Core Statistics Table

Fact	Detail
Capital	Patna
Formation as a separate province	1 April 1912 (carved out of the Bengal Presidency)
Bifurcation	15 November 2000 — Jharkhand carved out of southern Bihar
Area	94,163 sq km (India's 12th largest state by area)
Population (2011 Census)	10,40,99,452 (about 10.41 crore) — 3rd most populous state
Population density (2011)	1,102 persons/sq km — the highest of any major Indian state
Sex ratio (2011)	918 females per 1,000 males
Literacy rate (2011)	61.8% (male 71.2%, female 51.5%) — among the lowest of major states, a frequent target of state schemes
Number of districts	38
Number of divisions (Pramandal)	9
Official languages	Hindi and Urdu (second official language)
Major regional languages	Bhojpuri, Maithili, Magahi, Angika, Bajjika
State animal	Gaur (Indian bison)
State bird	House sparrow (Ghar Gauraiya)
State tree	Peepal
Neighbouring states	Uttar Pradesh (west), Jharkhand (south), West Bengal (east)
International border	Nepal (north)
Main river	Ganga, flowing west to east through the state
High Court	Patna High Court (established 1916), one of India's oldest

1.3 Current Key Office-Holders (as of August 2026)

Post	Name
Governor	Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd.), sworn in 14 March 2026
Chief Minister	Samrat Choudhary, sworn in mid-April 2026, succeeding Nitish Kumar
Former Chief Minister (multi-term)	Nitish Kumar, who resigned in March–April 2026 after being elected to the Rajya Sabha

Always verify officeholder names against the specific year's exam notification — this table reflects the position at the time of writing, and CSBC/BPSC exams are typically held months after notification.

1.4 Bihar's National Rankings

Bihar is consistently the 3rd most populous state in India (after Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra), has among the youngest populations of any major state (a large proportion under 25), and has historically ranked among states with the lowest per-capita income, though recent years have shown some of the fastest GSDP growth rates in percentage terms nationally — a frequently tested "contrast fact" in GK papers (low per-capita base, high growth rate). Bihar also has the highest rural population share among large states, and among the lowest urbanisation rates in the country.

1.5 The Nine Divisions (Pramandal) of Bihar

Bihar's 38 districts are grouped into 9 administrative divisions, each headed by a Divisional Commissioner, an intermediate tier between the state government and district administration:

Division	Headquarters	Districts Included (illustrative)
Patna	Patna	Patna, Nalanda, Bhojpur, Buxar, Rohtas, Kaimur
Magadh	Gaya	Gaya, Aurangabad, Nawada, Jehanabad, Arwal
Saran	Chhapra	Saran, Siwan, Gopalganj
Tirhut	Muzaffarpur	Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Vaishali, East Champaran, West Champaran
Darbhanga	Darbhanga	Darbhanga, Madhubani, Samastipur
Kosi	Saharsa	Saharsa, Supaul, Madhepura
Purnia	Purnia	Purnia, Katihar, Araria, Kishanganj
Munger	Munger	Munger, Begusarai, Sheikhpura, Lakhisarai, Jamui, Khagaria
Bhagalpur	Bhagalpur	Bhagalpur, Banka

1.6 Physical and Administrative Setting

Bihar lies in the middle Gangetic plain, roughly between 24°20'N–27°31'N latitude and 82°19'E–88°17'E longitude. The state is landlocked, sharing its northern international boundary with Nepal across a stretch of roughly 601 km, and internal boundaries with Uttar Pradesh to the west, Jharkhand to the south, and West Bengal to the east. Administratively, Bihar is further divided below the district level into sub-divisions, blocks (Community Development Blocks), and Gram Panchayats — the last forming the base tier of the state's Panchayati Raj system, covered in depth in Part VIII.

1.7 Practice Set — Bihar at a Glance (25 MCQs)

1. Bihar was carved out of the Bengal Presidency as a separate province in:
   (a) 1905 (b) 1912 (c) 1936 (d) 1947
2. Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar on:
   (a) 1 November 2000 (b) 15 November 2000 (c) 9 November 2000 (d) 26 January 2000
3. Bihar's area ranks it as India's:
   (a) 10th largest state (b) 12th largest state (c) 15th largest state (d) 8th largest state
4. As per the 2011 Census, Bihar's population rank among Indian states is:
   (a) 1st (b) 2nd (c) 3rd (d) 4th
5. Bihar's population density (2011) is approximately:
   (a) 850 persons/sq km (b) 1,102 persons/sq km (c) 1,300 persons/sq km (d) 700 persons/sq km
6. Bihar's sex ratio as per the 2011 Census is:
   (a) 900 (b) 918 (c) 940 (d) 950
7. Bihar's literacy rate (2011 Census) is approximately:
   (a) 55.8% (b) 61.8% (c) 68.8% (d) 74.8%
8. The number of districts in Bihar is:
   (a) 36 (b) 38 (c) 40 (d) 42
9. Bihar has how many administrative divisions (Pramandal)?
   (a) 7 (b) 8 (c) 9 (d) 10
10. Bihar's second official language is:
    (a) Bengali (b) Urdu (c) Maithili (d) Nepali
11. Which of the following is NOT a major regional language of Bihar?
    (a) Bhojpuri (b) Maithili (c) Magahi (d) Malayalam
12. Bihar's state animal is the:
    (a) Tiger (b) Gaur (Indian bison) (c) Elephant (d) Blackbuck
13. Bihar's state bird is the:
    (a) Peacock (b) House sparrow (Ghar Gauraiya) (c) Sarus crane (d) Parrot
14. Bihar's state tree is the:
    (a) Banyan (b) Peepal (c) Mango (d) Sal
15. Which state does NOT share a border with Bihar?
    (a) Uttar Pradesh (b) Jharkhand (c) West Bengal (d) Madhya Pradesh
16. Bihar shares an international border with:
    (a) Bangladesh (b) Nepal (c) Bhutan (d) China
17. Patna High Court was established in:
    (a) 1862 (b) 1916 (c) 1935 (d) 1950
18. As of August 2026, Bihar's Chief Minister is:
    (a) Nitish Kumar (b) Samrat Choudhary (c) Tejashwi Yadav (d) Sushil Kumar Modi
19. As of August 2026, Bihar's Governor is:
    (a) Phagu Chauhan (b) Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd.) (c) Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar (d) Ramnath Kovind
20. Bihar's longest-serving Chief Minister prior to 2026, Nitish Kumar, left office after being elected to:
    (a) The Lok Sabha (b) The Rajya Sabha (c) The Bihar Vidhan Parishad (d) He did not leave office; he continues as CM
21. Which division's headquarters is Gaya?
    (a) Patna Division (b) Magadh Division (c) Munger Division (d) Kosi Division
22. Bihar's approximate international border length with Nepal is:
    (a) About 400 km (b) About 601 km (c) About 750 km (d) About 900 km
23. Bihar has among the highest _____ in the country, a frequently tested contrast fact given its low per-capita income base.
    (a) Urbanisation rates (b) GSDP growth rates (in percentage terms) (c) Literacy rates (d) Per-capita incomes
24. Below the district level, Bihar's administrative units include sub-divisions, blocks, and:
    (a) Gram Panchayats (b) Cantonment Boards only (c) Union Territories (d) Municipal Corporations exclusively
25. Which division includes Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, and both East and West Champaran?
    (a) Darbhanga Division (b) Tirhut Division (c) Saran Division (d) Kosi Division

Answer Key

1.(b)

2.(b)

3.(b)

4.(c)

5.(b)

6.(b)

7.(b)

8.(b)

9.(c)

10.(b)

11.(d)

12.(b)

13.(b)

14.(b)

15.(d)

16.(b)

17.(b)

18.(b)

19.(b)

20.(b)

21.(b)

22.(b)

23.(b)

24.(a) 25.(b)