Opinion In Bihar, MPLADS have paved way for knowledge hubs
As an MP from Bihar, it was a personal commitment for me to utilise the MPLADS fund to strengthen the state’s knowledge systems and institutions
Some have questioned the scheme, but when used well, MPLADS allows MPs to make unique interventions that nudge the state in the right direction. (Illustration: Mithun Chakraborty) 
Launched in 1993, the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) allows every MP to recommend works that create durable community assets at local levels. While Lok Sabha MPs are mandated to spend the funds in their constituency, Rajya Sabha MPs can spend them across the state they represent. Some have questioned the scheme, but when used well, MPLADS allows MPs to make unique interventions that nudge the state in the right direction.
Bihar has a long road ahead to catch up economically with the rest of the country. As an MP from Bihar, it was a personal commitment for me to utilise the MPLADS fund to strengthen the state’s knowledge systems and institutions. There were two motivating factors. First was the experience of visiting leading universities in the US as part of a study visit for journalists in the early 1990s. It was a lesson that policy solutions are not to be found overnight, but require quality evidence. Back home, this was also when southern states were gaining momentum with the rise of the IT sector. States’ investments facilitated the development of technical institutes that nurtured homegrown talent. In contrast, Bihar was focused on opening Charwaha Vidyalayas (Shepherd’s Schools) in the 1990s.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was focused on correcting these legacy factors since his first term and prioritised the development of educational institutions to reduce outward migration for higher education. The revival of Nalanda University and the growth of engineering, management, and medical institutes were notable steps in this direction.
Across the author’s two terms in the Rajya Sabha since 2014, over Rs 50 crore out of the available Rs 54.5 crore from the MPLADS fund has been allocated to the development of knowledge hubs in Bihar. The allocation of nearly Rs 12 crore between 2016 and 2018 led to the creation of the Centre for Earthquake Engineering Research (CEER) at IIT Patna and the Centre for River Studies at Aryabhatta Knowledge University.
Eight districts in Bihar fall under a Category V (very high risk) seismic zone and 27 under Category IV (high risk). Earthquakes by themselves do not kill as many people as poorly built structures, which makes better construction practices essential. The CEER faculty have launched courses in structural engineering and developed a state-of-the-art laboratory. It has helped in improving the design of new buildings and creating a checklist to evaluate existing constructions. Bihar’s dense river network has led to frequent floods, and the state spends about Rs 10,000 crore annually in flood management and relief measures. The Centre for River Studies works on research and developing practical solutions to address the state’s geographical challenges.
These centres are already collaborating with other institutes and working with the Bihar Disaster Management Authority. With the ability to attract grants and partnerships, and some support from the state government, these institutes are operationally self-sufficient in the long run. It is the young minds of Bihar who are actively involved in solving the state’s problems. The socio-economic return for the state is much greater than the monetary allocation for the projects.
Alongside these, a Centre for Endangered Language Studies — inspired by Rahul Sankrityayan, who brought back ancient scriptures and artefacts from Tibet that once belonged to Nalanda’s libraries — is already operational at IIT Patna. Three more institutes are in the pipeline in Gaya and Patna with a cumulative allocation of nearly Rs 30 crore. These include an Artificial Intelligence Centre at Magadh University in Gaya, a Centre for Public Policy, and a Business Incubation and Innovation Foundation at the Chandragupt Institute of Management Patna.
In the Rajya Sabha’s MPLADS Committee, of which I am chairman, we have focused on addressing various administrative concerns of the members, and the ministry has streamlined the process with an integrated digital platform. Whether through the Union Budget, state budgets, or MPLADS, public finances spent must be directed towards the country’s development. In the journey towards the Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat, every elected representative can play a key role in strengthening the institutional and development capacity of their state and constituency for a better future.
The writer is Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, and an MP from Bihar. Views are personal
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