THE BEST DISTRICTS
Areas that fought, slowly but surely, to emerge on top
The india today State of the State (SOTS) survey, started in 2003, analyses the performance of districts in each state over a period of time and across 10 parameters—education, health, infrastructure, water and sanitation, agriculture, services, industry, law and order, prosperity and overall development. Each parameter is a composite index of key variables measurable across time, provided comparable data is available.
EDUCATION Best district: Kishanganj
The only district in the state to have a Muslim-majority population—68 per cent—Kishanganj went on from having the lowest literacy rate—31.1 per cent in 2001—to 55.5 per cent in 2011. The district has a total of 1,814 schools, which have 416,744 students. The number of primary schools per 100,000 people has gone up from 80.4 in 2009-10 to 89 in 2016-17. The girl to boy student ratio has gone up from 97.3 per cent in 200910 to 101.9 per cent in 2016-17.
Most improved: Lakhisarai
The literacy rate in this central Bihar district has gone up from 48 per cent in 2001 to 62.4 per cent in 2011. Each one of its 340 villages has some kind of basic educational facility. The district has 486 primary schools; their number per 100,000 people has gone up from 67.3 in 2009-10 to 75.9 in 2016-17.
HEALTH Best district: Rohtas
Known as the rice bowl of Bihar, the district boasts the highest literacy rate in the state—75.6 per cent. Perhaps that explains its record in health as well. Institutional deliveries went up from 48.5 per cent in 2007-08 to 80.7 per cent in 2015-16; immunisation of 1223 months old children from 41.5 per cent to 70.5 per cent. There’s at least one health institution for an average population of 9,641 persons.
Most improved: Kaimur
Having a qualified surgeon as a district magistrate helped Kaimur shore up its performance. Dr Nawal Kishor Choudhary knew the delivery mechanism had to improve. “Beginning May 2018 when I took over as DM, I started a block-level review of the health department. I personally checked primary health centres and ensured doctors and officials were present,” he says. Kaimur has one health institution for an average population of 7,819 persons. It also has 4 doctors per
100,000 people, higher than the state average of 3 per 100,000.
INFRASTRUCTURE Best district: Sheikhpura
According to Sheikhpura district magistrate Yogendra Singh, the positive difference in infrastructure is due to the multi-dimensional monitoring of developmental projects, including roads. “For instance,” he says, “we not only insist on knowing the length of roads constructed every week, but also how many habitations it has connected.” Road density in Sheikhpura has increased from 93.6 kms per 100,000 persons in 2010 to 183.11 kms in 2017. In 2007-8, 36.7 per cent households had electricity. This went up to 79.1 per cent in 2015-16.
Most improved: Madhepura
Known as the sorrow of Bihar for being ravaged again and again by the river Kosi, Madhepura’s has been a story of consistent fightback. Road density in Madhepura jumped from 41.8 kms per 100,000 people in 2010 to 149.4 kms in 2017. Madhepura has also registered impressive growth in the number of households with power—from a dismal 9 per cent in 2007-2008 to 53.3 per cent by 2015-16.
WATER & SANITATION Best district: Begusarai
In August 2018, as many as 300,000 school children wrote a letter to their parents saying how much they wanted them to embrace sanitation in their lives. The parents responded enthusiastically, writing back to say they would do what their children wanted. The district is yet to be declared open defecation free but is steadfastly moving towards it. Providing clean drinking water to all is another focus area, with the public health and engineering department tasked as the nodal agency. Only 25.2 per cent households in the district had toilets in 2007-08. That rose to 34.2 per cent in 2015-16. The number of households with improved sources of drinking water rose from 96.1 per cent to 99.1 per cent in the same period.
Most improved: Nawada
It is among the 10 districts chosen by the Bihar Rural Water Supply & Sanitation Project for the implementation of multi- and single-village piped water scheme in different phases. From only 16.4 per cent households with toilets in 2007-08, Nawada saw 28.8 per cent households boasting toilets by 2015-16. Households with improved sources of drinking water increased from 86.8 per cent to 98.8 per cent in the same period.
AGRICULTURE Best district: Buxar
In 2004-05, Buxar had a per capita agricultural GDDP (rural population) of Rs 2,924, which shot up to Rs 4,506 in 2011-12. Rice productivity in Buxar was 2,559 kg per hectare in 2006-07, going up to 3,239 in 2016-17. Similarly, wheat productivity shot up to 3,371 kg from 2,029 while maize productivity went up to 2,357 kg in 2016-17 from 1,133 in 2006-07. The proportion of net irrigated area to net sown area went up to 67.3 per cent in 2015-16 from 58.9 per cent in 2009-10 while per capita agriculture credit (rural population) went up to Rs 6,948 in 2016-17 from Rs 743 in 2007-08.
Most improved: Jamui
In 2004-05, Jamui’s per capita agricultural GDDP (rural population) was Rs 1,995. It shot up to Rs 2,432 in 2011-12. The proportion of net irrigated area to net sown area went up from 30.7 per cent in 2009-10 to 97.9 per cent in 2015-16. Per capita agro credit (rural population) went up from Rs 266 in 2007-08 to Rs 3,549 in 2016-17.
INDUSTRY Best district: Munger
“Every place has its own USP,” says Munger district magistrate Anand Sharma. He sees two in his district: tourism and food processing. A new tourism circuit with a jungle safari is likely to come up at the year-end. He is also planning to involve farmers in an organic honey project, to be called Munger honey. Munger was famous for gun manufacturing, while Indian Railways also has one of Asia’s largest and oldest workshops in its twin city, Jamalpur. In 2004-05, Munger had an Industry to GDDP ratio of 24.1 per cent, which improved to 38.8 per cent in 2011-12. The industry GDP per capita in the same period went up from Rs 2,773 in to Rs 7,087.
Most improved: Arwal
Most of the 32 small and medium industrial units here are agro-based. An entrepreneurship programme in line
with the Bihar investment promotion policy has been launched at the panchayat levels. In 2004-05, Arwal had an industry to GDDP ratio of 12.3 per cent which improved to 21.6 per cent in 201112. Industry GDP per capita in the same period went up from Rs 653 to Rs 1,768.
SERVICES Best district: Muzaffarpur
One of the three cities in the state selected for the government of India’s smart cities mission, the land of mango and litchi is the ideal breeding ground for the services sector. In 2004-05, Muzaffarpur had a services to GDDP ratio of 53.6 per cent which went up to 56.4 per cent in 2011-12. Services GDP per capita in the same period went up from Rs 5,570 to Rs 8,289.
Most improved: Madhubani
Traditionally among the laggards of the state, it is now among the top 20 of the state’s 38 districts. Prosperity in other areas has percolated to the services sectors as well. For instance, it has seen a marked improvement in per capita power consumption. The levels of cooperative credit supply are also comparatively higher in Madhubani. In 2004-05, Madhubani had a services to GDDP ratio of 35.5 per cent which rose to 46.2 per cent in 2011-12. The services GDP per capita in the same period went up from Rs 2,414 to Rs 3,453.
PROSPERITY Best district: Patna
A city with 43.1 per cent urbanisation, 6 per cent of the state’s road network and 16 per cent of the total number of vehicles in Bihar, Patna is the most prosperous of the state’s 38 districts. Its per capita GDP in 2004-05 was Rs 36,373, rising to Rs 55,270 in 2011-12, four times the average per capita GDP of the state (Rs 12,093). Per capita bank credit in Patna was Rs 10,197 in 200708, which went up by more than four times to Rs 46,520 in 2016-17.
Most improved: Sheohar
The smallest district of Bihar in terms of population and area, Sheohar is a mainly agricultural district, which is why even its industry is agro-based. A hub of trade and commerce, it exports oil seeds, jaggery, hides and vegetables. The district has more than 400 registered micro enterprises, 40 units manufacturing food products and 23 into textiles. In 2004-05, the district’s per capita GDP was Rs 4,391, which rose to Rs 6,055 in 2011-12. Per capita bank credit in Sheohar was Rs 1,002 in 2007-08, which went up by more than four times to Rs 4,290 in 2016-17.
LAW & ORDER Best district: Darbhanga
Always a communally sensitive district, the district magistrate has ensured the administration appears fair and neutral. Murders per 100,000 persons have declined from 2.08 in 2007 to 0.98 in 2017.
Most improved: Aurangabad
When it comes to controlling violent crime, Aurangabad stands tall. Murders per 100,000 persons have come down from 2.87 in 2007 to 1.74 in 2017; the incidence of rape is down from 0.91 to 0.83 per 100,000 people.
OVERALL DEVELOPMENT Best district: Patna
Not just the capital city, but all 12 towns in the district boast very healthy roads as well as power connectivity. The city is also home to India’s most modern museum, the Bihar Museum, which wowed even Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit in October 2017. A brainchild of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the museum has Japanese aesthetics and meets 21st century green standards. Patna emerged on top out of all Bihar’s 38 districts on the composite indices of education, health, water and sanitation, infrastructure, industries, services and law and order.
Most improved: Kishanganj
In the past two decades, if Bihar has emerged as an important tea-producing state, it owes this in large part to Kishanganj, where tea is presently cultivated on about 50,000 acres in the district. Apart from being the best performing district in education, it has shown significant growth on all composite indices. All seven block headquarters of the district are connected with pucca roads. With a credit to deposit ratio of its scheduled and commercial banks at 69.5 per cent, Kishanganj topped Bihar in 2015-16. All its 732 villages are electrified.