Journalists in Bihar to Get ₹15,000 Monthly Pension, Says CM Nitish

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced a major increase in the monthly pension for journalists under the ‘Bihar Patrakaar Samman Pension Scheme.’ This new change also applies to the spouses of eligible journalists. Sharing the news on social media platform X, the Chief Minister said that the state government has asked the concerned department to raise the pension from ₹6,000 to ₹15,000 for all eligible journalists.

Pension for Spouse After Journalist’s Death Also Raised

If a journalist who gets a pension passes away, their dependent husband or wife will now get ₹10,000 every month, instead of the earlier ₹3,000. The Chief Minister shared that this amount will be provided for the lifetime of the surviving spouse.

Nitish Kumar said in his post, “Under the ‘Bihar Patrakaar Samman Pension Scheme,’ directions have been given to raise the monthly pension to ₹15,000. In case of a journalist’s death, their spouse will get ₹10,000 per month for life.”

Nitish Kumar Highlights Journalists' Role in Democracy

The Chief Minister also praised the role of journalists in society. He called them the fourth pillar of democracy and said they help in building a better society. He also added that his government has always supported journalists so they can work fairly and live with respect after retirement.

He said, “Journalists are very important in democracy. They are called the fourth pillar of Indian democracy, and they help in social development. From the beginning, we have made efforts to take care of them so they can work freely and live with pride after retirement.”

Announcement Comes Ahead of State Assembly Elections

This pension hike comes just months before the Bihar Assembly elections, which are likely to be held in October or November this year. However, the Election Commission has not yet declared the official dates.

Meanwhile, the political fight between the NDA government and the opposition Mahagathbandhan has intensified in Bihar and across the country. The issue is the current Special Integrated Revision (SIR) process to update the voter list in Bihar. The opposition INDIA bloc claims that a large number of voters may be removed due to the SIR process.

On Friday, the Bihar Election Commission said that nearly all voters in the state—around 99.8%—have been added to the updated voter list. The Chief Electoral Officer said they have received and digitised forms from over 7.23 crore voters. These names will appear in the Draft Electoral Roll, which will be released on August 1, 2025.