General Knowledge, Current Affairs and Elementary Law of Bihar
This portion mixes static Bihar facts, state statutes a Bihar judge must apply, and current developments.
Static facts
- Bihar Diwas is 22 March 1912; Jharkhand was carved out on 15 November 2000; the State has 38 districts and a bicameral legislature (Vidhan Sabha 243, Vidhan Parishad 75). The capital is Patna, and the Patna High Court, established in 1916, has a circuit bench at Muzaffarpur.
Bihar statutes
- The Bihar Civil Courts Act, 1882 fixes pecuniary jurisdiction of Munsif, Subordinate Judge and District Judge.
- The Bihar Tenancy Act, 1885 governs agricultural holdings; the Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act, 1908 applies to the tribal belt; the Bihar Land Reforms Act, 1950 abolished the zamindari system.
- The Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016 imposes a statewide liquor ban; the Bihar Right to Public Services Act, 2011 provides time-bound service delivery; the Bihar Panchayat Raj Act, 2006 governs panchayats.
Worked example
A suit concerns eviction from an agricultural holding in rural Bihar. The applicable law is the Bihar Tenancy Act, 1885 and not the lease chapter of the Transfer of Property Act, because the latter is excluded for agricultural tenancies by s.117.
Traps
Tenancy and transfer of property rules are interchanged; the Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act is applied outside its Scheduled Areas; and current affairs questions on appointments and schemes are answered from stale sources. Verify recent developments from the Patna High Court and State Gazette.