Welcome to the Ujiyari Bihar Current Affairs notes for 19 August 2026, prepared for BPSC and other State PCS aspirants. The state Cabinet approved a 336-km Buxar-Bhagalpur Greenfield Expressway among a 13-proposal agenda, while the Union Cabinet separately cleared Rs 3,590.73 crore for four-laning NH-22’s Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi-Sonbarsa stretch (covered in today’s national edition). Bihar also amended its Social Media Rules to pay content creators for promoting government schemes, and the state’s largest-ever job fair opened at Gyan Bhawan, Patna. Each item below carries a Prelims fact table and a Mains angle, followed by five practice MCQs.

1. Bihar Cabinet Approves 336-km Buxar-Bhagalpur Greenfield Expressway

Why in News: The Bihar Cabinet, chaired by CM Samrat Choudhary, cleared construction of a 336-km greenfield expressway connecting Buxar and Bhagalpur, at a Cabinet meeting on 19 August 2026.

What happened: The corridor runs via Arwal, Jehanabad, Nalanda and Jamui districts, part of a 13-proposal Cabinet agenda cleared the same day.

Bihar Relevance:

  • Prelims: Buxar-Bhagalpur Greenfield Expressway, 336 km; route districts: Arwal, Jehanabad, Nalanda, Jamui.
  • Mains: Discuss greenfield expressways and east-west connectivity as drivers of Bihar’s industrial-corridor and logistics strategy.

2. Union Cabinet Approves Rs 3,590.73 Crore Four-Laning of NH-22 in Bihar

Why in News: The CCEA, chaired by PM Modi, approved a Rs 3,590.73 crore four-laning of the Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi-Sonbarsa stretch of NH-22 on 19 August 2026.

What happened: The 82.578 km stretch, on the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM), links the India-Nepal border crossing at Sonbarsa to Muzaffarpur, which connects to NH-27/East-West Corridor, and includes a 340-metre bridge over the Bagmati, three rail overbridges and two flyovers. (See today’s national edition for the full Cabinet approval, which also cleared railway multitracking projects in four other states.)

Bihar Relevance:

  • Prelims: NH-22, 82.578 km, Hybrid Annuity Mode; links Sonbarsa (India-Nepal border) to Muzaffarpur.
  • Mains: Discuss India-Nepal connectivity infrastructure and its strategic/economic significance for north Bihar.

3. Bihar Cabinet Sanctions Rs 305.60 Crore for Irrigation: Tubewells and Canal Restoration

Why in News: The Cabinet approved Rs 305.60 crore for installing 11,000 private tubewells statewide in 2026-27, on 19 August 2026.

What happened: This includes Rs 30.35 crore for Janaki Nagar canal restoration (Araria) and Rs 35.82 crore for Katihar distributary restoration, aimed at improving irrigation access.

Bihar Relevance:

  • Prelims: 11,000 private tubewells, Rs 305.60 crore; canal restoration in Araria and Katihar.
  • Mains: Discuss groundwater-based minor irrigation versus canal restoration as complementary strategies for Bihar’s flood-and-drought-prone agriculture.

4. Bihar Cabinet Approves Pay-Per-View Scheme for Government Scheme Promotion

Why in News: The Cabinet amended the Bihar Social Media and Online Media Rules, 2026, approving a pay-per-view scheme for content creators, on 19 August 2026.

What happened: The scheme pays Rs 10,000 per 1 lakh views on videos publicising government schemes, capped at Rs 1 lakh per video, with payouts computed 30 days after posting and follower/viewership audits.

Bihar Relevance:

  • Prelims: Payout: Rs 10,000/1 lakh views, capped at Rs 1 lakh/video; amends Rules 8A, 11, 11A, 11B, adds 14A-14C.
  • Mains: Discuss governance-communication innovation versus concerns over paid pro-government content and information-ecosystem integrity.

5. Bihar Mega Job Fair 2026 Opens at Gyan Bhawan, Patna

Why in News: Bihar’s largest-ever job fair began at Gyan Bhawan, Patna, on 19 August 2026 (running through August 23).

What happened: Organised by the Bihar Skill Development Mission, 112 companies, including Kotak Mahindra Bank, Flipkart and Reliance Retail, are targeting over 20,000 private-sector placements over five days.

Bihar Relevance:

  • Prelims: Bihar Skill Development Mission; 112 companies, 20,000+ placements targeted, 5-day fair.
  • Mains: Discuss state-led skill-employment linkage models addressing Bihar’s youth-employment challenge.

Practice MCQs

1. The Bihar Cabinet’s Buxar-Bhagalpur Greenfield Expressway, approved 19 August 2026, spans how many kilometres?

a) 236 km b) 436 km c) 536 km d) 336 km

Answer: d Explanation: The Bihar Cabinet approved a 336-km greenfield expressway connecting Buxar and Bhagalpur via Arwal, Jehanabad, Nalanda and Jamui districts, part of a 13-proposal Cabinet agenda cleared on 19 August 2026.

2. The CCEA’s Rs 3,590.73 crore four-laning of NH-22 in Bihar, approved 19 August 2026, uses which financing model?

a) Build-Operate-Transfer b) Engineering, Procurement and Construction c) Hybrid Annuity Mode d) Public-Private Partnership Toll

Answer: c Explanation: The Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi-Sonbarsa stretch of NH-22 will be four-laned on the Hybrid Annuity Mode, linking the India-Nepal border crossing at Sonbarsa to Muzaffarpur, at a cost of Rs 3,590.73 crore.

3. The Bihar Cabinet’s 19 August 2026 irrigation package sanctioned Rs 305.60 crore for installing how many private tubewells?

a) 5,000 b) 8,000 c) 11,000 d) 15,000

Answer: c Explanation: The Cabinet approved Rs 305.60 crore for installing 11,000 private tubewells statewide in 2026-27, alongside canal restoration funding of Rs 30.35 crore for Araria and Rs 35.82 crore for Katihar.

4. Bihar’s pay-per-view scheme for social media creators, approved 19 August 2026, pays how much per 1 lakh views on scheme-promotion videos?

a) Rs 10,000 b) Rs 15,000 c) Rs 20,000 d) Rs 5,000

Answer: a Explanation: The Cabinet’s amendment to the Bihar Social Media and Online Media Rules, 2026 pays content creators Rs 10,000 per 1 lakh views on videos publicising government schemes, capped at Rs 1 lakh per video.

5. The Bihar Mega Job Fair 2026, which opened at Gyan Bhawan, Patna on 19 August 2026, is organised by which body?

a) Bihar Industries Association b) Bihar Skill Development Mission c) Bihar State Employment Exchange d) Bihar Chamber of Commerce

Answer: b Explanation: The Bihar Mega Job Fair 2026, Bihar’s largest-ever job fair, was organised by the Bihar Skill Development Mission (Department of Youth, Employment and Skill Development), with 112 companies targeting over 20,000 private-sector placements over five days.