Bihar chief minister Samrat Choudhary on Tuesday directed the higher education department to begin academic and teaching activities in newly established degree colleges across 211 blocks in the state that currently lack such institutions.

Reviewing the functioning of the department at a high-level meeting in Patna, the chief minister asked officials to ensure that the newly created colleges become fully operational at the earliest. He also ordered the formation of a recruitment committee to evaluate staffing needs and directed officials to prepare a consolidated vacancy list for all colleges in the state.

Officials said the move is aimed at expanding access to higher education in underserved regions and improving the state’s educational infrastructure.

During the review meeting, Choudhary appealed to private citizens and organisations to donate land for establishment of new colleges. He said institutions could be named according to the suggestions of donors as a gesture of recognition.

The chief minister also invited public participation in the construction of college buildings and emphasised the need for proper road connectivity to newly developed campuses to ensure accessibility for students and faculty.

In another major directive, Choudhary asked the department to conduct a detailed assessment of infrastructure and staffing in non-aided degree colleges to streamline the allocation of government grants and improve administrative efficiency.

Seeking to improve the quality of higher education in Bihar, the chief minister further instructed officials to identify the country’s top 10 universities and explore the possibility of signing Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for affiliating select Bihar colleges with reputed institutions.

The state government is also moving ahead with plans linked to the proposed Vikramshila University project. Choudhary directed the department to formally inform the Union education ministry about Bihar government’s decision to provide land for the initiative.

Additionally, he ordered a reorganisation of research institutes and university research centres functioning across the state to strengthen academic research and improve institutional coordination.