State PCS - Bihar (BPSC)

• 24 Mar 2026

Bihar Diwas 2026

Why in News?

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated the Bihar Diwas 2026 celebrations, marking the 114th foundation day of the state on 22nd March 2026. 

Key Points

• Theme: Unnat Bihar, Ujjwal Bihar (Advanced Bihar, Bright Bihar). 
  • Bihar Diwas is celebrated from March 22–24 in 2026 with statewide events.
• History of Bihar Day:
  • Viceroy Lord Hardinge made the final formal proclamation regarding the creation of the province of Bihar and Orissa with its boundaries, through the Government of India Act, 1912.
  • Later, the province of Bihar, after separation from Orissa in 1936, consisted of four divisions –Bhagalpur, Patna, Tirhut and Chota Nagpur.
    • Their respective districts were: Bhagalpur –Bhagalpur, Munger, Purnia, Santhal Parganas; Patna – Patna, Gaya and Shahabad; Tirhut – Champaran, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur and Saran; and Chota Nagpur – Hazaribagh, Manbhum, Palamau, and Ranchi.
  • In 2000, a new state 'Jharkhand' was established, separate from Bihar.

• Bihar’s Cultural History:
  • The name of this state has been mentioned even the old epics, Vedas, Purans. It was the main scene of activities of Buddha and 24 Tirthankars of Jains.
    • Bihar's capital Patna, in that period known as Patliputra was the capital of famous rulers of ancient India like Maurya emperors, Imperial Guptas. Great rulers of the State before the Christian era were Bimbisar, Udayin, Chandragupta Maurya, Emperor Ashoka, Kanishka, Chandragupta, Samudragupta, Vikramaditya etc. 
  • The famous poet Kalidas lived in the reign of Gupta emperors. During the medieval period Muslim conquered this state. The first Muslim ruler was Mohammed-bin-Bakhtiar Khalji. The Khaljis are followed by Tughlaks and then by Mughals. 
  • In the Mughal reign, famous ruler Sher Shah Suri conquered this state and ruled it for a little period of about 4 years. 
  • The tenth Guru of the Sikh community Gobind Singh, who created Khalsa and defended the people of North from Muslim rulers of Delhi was born here.
• Achievements of Bihar:
  • Bihar continues to be the world leader in makhana production, contributing approximately 90% of the global supply of this prized aquatic crop.
  • Bihar was awarded the Gold Medal at the 2025 ET Government Digitech Awards for its Smart Prepaid Meter initiative and the ‘Bihar Krishi’ mobile app.

Read More: Swadeshi movement, Bengal Partition, National Recognition for Digital Innovation

World TB Day 2026

Why in News?

World TB Day is observed on 24th March 2026 to raise awareness about tuberculosis (TB) and to strengthen global efforts to eliminate the disease. 

Key Points

• Historical Background: World TB Day is observed annually on 24 March to commemorate the discovery of the tuberculosis bacterium by Robert Koch in 1882, which enabled the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
• Theme 2026: “Yes! We Can End TB: Led by countries, powered by people.”
• Global Burden: Tuberculosis remains one of the world’s leading infectious diseases. 
  • In 2024, around 10.7 million people fell ill with TB and about 1.23 million deaths were reported globally.
• About Tuberculosis (TB):
  • Causative Agent: Tuberculosis is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which mainly affects the lungs but can also damage other organs.
  • Transmission: TB spreads through airborne droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks, making early diagnosis and treatment critical.
  • High-Burden Countries: Countries such as India, Indonesia, China, Philippines, and Pakistan account for a large share of global TB cases.
  • Prevention and Treatment: TB is preventable and curable with early diagnosis, antibiotic treatment, vaccination (BCG vaccine), and improved public health systems.
    • Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) is caused by bacteria resistant to key first-line drugs like rifampicin and isoniazid. MDR-TB can still be treated with alternative drugs, though these are costlier and have more side effects. 
    • In severe cases, extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) develops, leaving very limited treatment options. 
    • WHO recommends shorter 6-month all-oral regimens (BPaLM/BPaL) for eligible patients (including for MDR-TB patients), which are more effective and reduce treatment burden.
• Global Strategy: WHO’s End TB Strategy aims to reduce TB deaths by 95% and TB incidence by 90% by 2035 compared with 2015 levels.
  • The World Health Organization and the Stop TB Partnership lead international campaigns and programs to control and eliminate tuberculosis.
  • SDGs: Ending TB is part of Sustainable Development Goal 3, which aims to eliminate the TB epidemic by 2030.
• India Initiatives:
  • Nikshay Portal: A digital platform for tracking TB patients, treatment, and case management across the country.
  • Nikshay Poshan Yojana: Provides ₹500 per month nutritional support to TB patients during treatment.
  • Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan: A national initiative launched to accelerate India’s goal of TB elimination by 2025 (not yet fully eliminated).

Read More: WHO, SDGs