Nitish Kumar-led Bihar govt doubles honorarium for school support staff ahead of key polls

Ahead of the Bihar elections, the JD(U)chief and state's Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday announced a major increase in the honorarium of support staff in state-run schools, including cooks, night watchmen, and physical education instructors.

Making the announcement on X, the CM said the decision was part of the state’s continued effort to strengthen the education system since his government assumed office in November 2005.

“Since the formation of the government in November 2005, we have been continuously working to improve the education system. In the year 2005, the total education budget was Rs 4,366 crore, which has now increased to Rs 77,690 crore,” Kumar said.


Under the revised structure, cooks engaged in the mid-day meal programme will now receive ₹3,300 per month, up from ₹1,650. Night watchmen deployed at secondary and higher secondary schools will get ₹10,000, up from ₹5,000. Physical education and health instructors will receive ₹16,000, doubling from ₹8,000 earlier.


The government said its investments in the sector have led to better infrastructure, new school buildings, and large-scale teacher appointments. In addition to academic reforms, the state highlighted the role of non-teaching staff in maintaining school operations and student well-being.

“Cooks, night watchmen, and physical education and health instructors have played an important role in strengthening the education system. Keeping this in mind, we have decided to double their honorarium, making a respectable increase in their remuneration,” the CM said.

In addition, their annual increment has been raised from ₹200 to ₹400. Kumar said the move was aimed at improving staff motivation and service quality. “This will boost the morale of the working staff, and they will perform their duties with greater enthusiasm and dedication,” he said.