In maiden class, Bihar Minister holds forth on federalism and Centre-State relations

Bihar Minister Ashok Choudhary on Wednesday took his first class as an Assistant Professor of Political Science at A.N. College in Patna, returning to academic life after a gap of more than three decades.

Admitting to pre-class butterflies in the stomach, the Rural Works Department Minister told The Hindu that he settled into his role soon enough since the subject was familiar territory for him. Some PhD students also dropped in to attend the class, and among the sharper questions posed to him was one on why instability still persists in Manipur. Bihar politics, however, was off-limits.

Mr. Choudhary described his inaugural lecture on ‘Federalism and Centre-State relations’ as “a fantastic experience”. “People become a professor first and then Minister. I became Minister first and then become professor. I wanted to speak on the ongoing conflict in West Asia as well but ran out of time,” he chuckled.

A close aide of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Mr. Choudhary was selected for the post of Assistant Professor after he cleared the Bihar State University Service Commission (BSUSC) recruitment exam in 2020, results for which were announced in June last year.

Born in the Sheikhpura district, Mr. Choudhary began his political career with the Congress and was elected MLA from Barbigha in 2000. He was also Bihar Congress chief in 2013 but switched to the ruling Janata Dal (United) in 2018. Reflecting on his late return to academia, he said, “In 1991, I did my master’s… later, I did my PhD.”

Expressing happiness at being able to take a class in the building whose foundation stone he laid as Bihar Education Minister along with then President Ram Nath Kovind, he said existing rules mean he’ll go on sabbatical after Day 1 and retain his Ministerial remuneration. “I have informed the Head of Department that I will be taking classes whenever I get the time,” he said.