Bihar Current Affairs 31 July 2026

Welcome to the Ujiyari Bihar Current Affairs notes for 31 July 2026, prepared for BPSC and other State PCS aspirants. Today’s edition covers the Bankipur assembly bypoll, one of three simultaneous bypolls held on 30 July 2026, and the state’s Chief Minister Sugarcane Development Scheme application window for the 2026-27 season. Each item is paired with a Prelims fact table and a Mains angle, followed by five practice MCQs.

1. Bankipur Assembly Bypoll: Voting Held, Counting Awaited

Why in News: Voting for the Bankipur assembly bypoll in Patna was held on 30 July 2026, one of three simultaneous assembly bypolls conducted alongside Datia (Madhya Pradesh) and Manjalpur (Gujarat), with counting scheduled for 3 August 2026.

Background: The Bankipur bypoll recorded a voter turnout of approximately 34.3 per cent (reported figures ranged narrowly between 34.16 and 34.30 per cent across outlets), a decline of more than seven percentage points from the 41.45 per cent recorded in the seat’s last assembly election, a decline consistent with the typically lower turnout seen in Indian bypolls compared to general elections. Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor, contesting the seat himself against the BJP’s Neeraj Kumar, alleged that police had detained several of his party’s campaigners ahead of polling. As of 31 July 2026, formal counting had not yet taken place; results were scheduled to be declared alongside the Datia and Manjalpur bypolls on 3 August 2026.

Bihar Relevance:

• Prelims: Bankipur bypoll voting held 30 July 2026, Patna; turnout 34.30 per cent, down from 41.45 per cent in the last assembly election; simultaneous bypolls also held in Datia (Madhya Pradesh) and Manjalpur (Gujarat); counting scheduled 3 August 2026; contest featured Jan Suraaj Party candidate Prashant Kishor.
• Mains: Discuss the significance of voter turnout trends in assembly bypolls as an indicator of political engagement, and the emergence of new political formations contesting established constituencies in Bihar.

2. Chief Minister Sugarcane Development Scheme: 2026-27 Applications Open

Why in News: The Bihar Sugarcane Industries Department has invited online applications from farmers under the Chief Minister Sugarcane Development Scheme for the 2026-27 season, with the last date for submission set at 22 August 2026.

Background: The scheme provides subsidised sugarcane seed material to encourage the use of quality seed and improve sugarcane productivity across the state, delivered through the department’s Cane Care online portal. Eligible farmers can avail benefits for sugarcane cultivation on up to five acres of land, and an applicant may apply for only one seed category during the current financial year, choosing among Certified Seed, Truthfully Labelled Seed, or Single Bud (Settling) Seed. This scheme operates alongside the department’s separate Sugarcane Nursery Scheme, which offered a 75 per cent subsidy and had its own application window close on 23 July 2026, together forming part of Bihar’s broader push to revive and strengthen sugarcane cultivation and its associated mill economy.

Bihar Relevance:

• Prelims: Scheme name Chief Minister Sugarcane Development Scheme, 2026-27 season; application deadline 22 August 2026; delivered via the Cane Care online portal; land eligibility up to 5 acres per farmer; seed categories: Certified Seed, Truthfully Labelled Seed, Single Bud (Settling) Seed.
• Mains: Examine the role of subsidised quality-seed distribution schemes in improving agricultural productivity, using Bihar’s sugarcane sector as a case study.

Practice MCQs

1. What was the voter turnout in the Bankipur assembly bypoll held on 30 July 2026?

a) 24.30 per cent b) 34.30 per cent c) 44.30 per cent d) 54.30 per cent

Answer: b

Explanation: The Bankipur bypoll recorded a turnout of 34.30 per cent, a decline of more than seven percentage points from the 41.45 per cent recorded in the constituency’s last assembly election, with counting scheduled for 3 August 2026 alongside the Datia and Manjalpur bypolls.

2. The Bankipur assembly bypoll of 30 July 2026 was held simultaneously with bypolls in which two other states?

a) Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand b) Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat c) West Bengal and Odisha d) Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh

Answer: b

Explanation: The Bankipur (Bihar) bypoll was held simultaneously with the Datia (Madhya Pradesh) and Manjalpur (Gujarat) assembly bypolls on 30 July 2026, with counting for all three seats scheduled for 3 August 2026.

3. Which political party’s candidate, Prashant Kishor, contested the Bankipur assembly bypoll?

a) Rashtriya Janata Dal b) Janata Dal (United) c) Jan Suraaj Party d) Bharatiya Janata Party

Answer: c

Explanation: The Bankipur bypoll drew particular attention because it featured Jan Suraaj Party candidate Prashant Kishor, whose party has positioned itself as an alternative political formation in Bihar; as of 31 July 2026, formal counting had not yet taken place.

4. Under Bihar’s Chief Minister Sugarcane Development Scheme for 2026-27, what is the deadline for submitting applications?

a) 23 July 2026 b) 1 August 2026 c) 22 August 2026 d) 30 September 2026

Answer: c

Explanation: The last date for submitting applications under the Chief Minister Sugarcane Development Scheme for the 2026-27 season is 22 August 2026, with applications submitted through the department’s Cane Care online portal.

5. Under the Chief Minister Sugarcane Development Scheme, up to how many acres of land is a farmer eligible to claim benefits for?

a) 2 acres b) 5 acres c) 10 acres d) There is no land-area limit

Answer: b

Explanation: Eligible farmers can avail benefits for sugarcane cultivation on up to five acres of land under the scheme, and may apply for only one seed category during the current financial year: Certified Seed, Truthfully Labelled Seed, or Single Bud (Settling) Seed.