Bihar minister Mithlesh Tiwari asks ‘zaroorat kya hai education ki’ on girls' schooling, sparks outrage

A political row has broken out in Bihar after the state's Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari made comments about girls’ education that went viral on social media. The controversy stems from a video in which he allegedly questioned the need for educating girls and suggested that daughters should stay at home instead of participating in protests or public demonstrations.

The remarks triggered widespread criticism online.

In the viral video, Tiwari is seen saying, "Mera kehne ka matlab hai, zaroorat kya hai education ki? Humare ghar ki betiyan, humari shakti hai. Humari samriddhi ka aadhaar hai, aur un betiyon ko kya zaroorat hai sadak par aane ka jab naari shakti bandhan ke liye Modi ji khade hain. Aapko haq toh aise hi mil jayega. (What I mean is, what is the need for education? Our daughters in our homes are our Shakti. They are the foundation of our prosperity, and why should those daughters come out on the streets when Narendra Modi ji is standing for women’s empowerment? You will get your rights anyway.”

Watch the video here:

Mithilesh Tiwari is a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Baikunthpur constituency in Gopalganj district. According to an official blog source, he began his early career by giving tuitions and operating a small coaching institute in Patna.

What did former chief minister Nitish Kumar do for educating girls?

Under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, several women-centric policies were introduced that significantly influenced his popularity among women voters in Bihar.

These include 50% reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions and urban local bodies, along with 35% reservation in government jobs, which expanded women’s representation in governance and employment.

The bicycle distribution scheme for schoolgirls helped improve access to education, particularly in rural areas, by reducing travel barriers.

Additionally, financial assistance programmes supporting girls’ education and marriage eased the economic burden on families and encouraged greater investment in girls’ futures.

Nitish Kumar focused on building 70,000 new classrooms and hired 300,000 teachers, while introducing the pioneering bicycle scheme for schoolgirls, which boosted female secondary enrollment from 300,000 to 1.8 million, according to NITI Aayog Evaluation Report (2017).

Initiatives aimed at increasing women’s participation in agriculture also sought to strengthen their role in rural livelihoods and economic activities.

The prohibition of liquor sales in Bihar was another major policy, often viewed as a social reform step intended to improve household stability and reduce social and financial issues.

Political journey of Mithlesh Tiwari

Starting his political journey in 1988 with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, he entered active politics in 1990 by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party.

He served as the state minister of the BJP Kriya Manch in 1996, became its state vice president in 1998, and again held the position in 2000. Later, he held several key posts, including state general secretary, state vice president, member of the national executive, and also served as in charge of Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand.

During the RJD government, he was fielded by the BJP for the first time in the February 2005 elections from Kateya, where he lost to BSP candidate Amrendra Kumar Pandey alias Pappu Pandey.

In 2015, when the JD(U) and BJP contested separately, the party nominated him from Baikunthpur, where he won by defeating candidates from JD(U) and RJD.

Earlier on Thursday, the Bihar government underwent a significant cabinet expansion, with 32 ministers, comprising both senior leaders and first-time legislators, being sworn in during a large ceremony at Gandhi Maidan in Patna.

The expansion followed the formation of a new government by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary moved to strengthen the administrative setup after the coalition secured a strong electoral mandate.

The expansion follows the formation of the NDA government in the state after a decisive electoral mandate. As part of the expansion, leaders from the BJP (15), Janata Dal (United) (13), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (2), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) (1) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (1) were inducted into the Council of Ministers.

(With inputs from agencies)