Bihar education minister P.K. Sahi, under fire for the death of 23 schoolchildren soon after they ate a contaminated midday meal, on Thursday refused to resign even as calls for his dismissal grew and autopsy reports confirmed the presence of an insecticide in the children’s meals.

JMM leader and Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren passed his first major hurdle by winning the crucial vote of confidence in the Assembly on Thursday, five days after he was sworn in as head of a JMM-Congress-RJD combine.

Bihar education minister P.K. Sahi, under fire for the death of 23 schoolchildren soon after they ate a contaminated midday meal, on Thursday refused to resign even as calls for his dismissal grew and autopsy reports confirmed the presence of an insecticide in the children’s meals.

The number of young children killed after eating contaminated mid-day meal at a government school in north Bihar reached 22 on Wednesday amid reports that traces of an agricultural insecticide were fo

In a shocking instance of the utter lack of security in Bihar’s courts and daring lawlessness, criminals on Tuesday exploded two bombs on the premises of a civil court near Patna to free an under-trial dacoit, causing injuries to three people but ultimately failing in their purpose.

Eight of the nearly 20 men who allegedly abducted four tribal schoolgirls from their hostel and then gangraped them in Jharkhand’s Pakur district were arrested on Tuesday. The state government promised to take total responsibility for the four girls’ education and train them in self-defence.

A day after Narendra Modi slammed the Central Food Security Bill and a top JD(U) leader enumerated its loopholes, Bihar chief minister and JD(U) stalwart Nitish Kumar on Monday backed the UPA, saying the JD(U) would support the bill and that Bihar had already started preparations to implement it.

Four minor tribal girls in Jharkhand were allegedly abducted from their hostel and then gangraped by about 20 armed men, spreading shock and panic across the state and raising the pressure on the newly-formed government for tough action against crimes against tribals and women.

A poor, dalit man in Bihar’s flood-hit Kishanganj district on Saturday committed suicide after staying hungry along with his family for three days as relief material did not reach the school building where he and others had taken shelter.

JMM leader Hemant Soren, 37, was sworn in as Jharkhand’s ninth chief minister on Saturday as the head of the new ruling coalition of JMM, Congress, RJD and Independent MLAs, along with two legislators, one each from the Congress and the RJD, taking oath as ministers .