Welcome to the Ujiyari Bihar Current Affairs notes for 11 September 2026, prepared for the BPSC Combined Competitive Examination and other Bihar government examinations. The Ganga, Kosi and Gandak flood situation across northern and eastern Bihar remained grim on Friday, with more than 46 lakh people across 15 districts affected as the three rivers continued to flow above their danger marks at multiple gauge stations. Bihar’s community-kitchen network has scaled up dramatically to 1,194 kitchens across affected districts, up from 38 on 5 September, and the state government has deployed thousands of NDRF-SDRF-operated boats for relief and evacuation. Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, who conducted an aerial survey of the Ganga’s flood-hit stretch on 6 September, has directed Ministers-in-Charge and Secretaries-in-Charge to camp in the 13 Ganga-riverine districts from Buxar to Katihar and monitor operations continuously. In parallel, the tourism department is racing to finalise Pitripaksha Mela preparations at Gaya from 25 September against the flood backdrop, and the state agriculture department confirmed that the Makhana Vikas Yojana 2026-27 has begun disbursing subsidies to eligible farmers in the northern Kosi belt for cultivation, processing and branding. Each item carries a Prelims fact set and a Mains angle, followed by five practice MCQs.

1. Bihar Ganga-Kosi-Gandak Flood: 46 Lakh Affected Across 15 Districts

Why in News: As of 11 September 2026, more than 46 lakh people across 15 Bihar districts have been affected by floods, as the Ganga, Kosi and Gandak rivers continue to flow above their danger marks at multiple gauge stations. Worst-affected districts include Patna, Bhagalpur, Buxar, Saran, Vaishali, Begusarai, Katihar, Purnea, Munger, Khagaria, Bhojpur, Lakhisarai, Samastipur, Madhepura and Araria. Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on 6 September had conducted an aerial survey of the Ganga stretch and directed Ministers-in-Charge to camp in the 13 Ganga-riverine districts from Buxar to Katihar.

Scale of the response. The Bihar Disaster Management Department reported that NDRF and SDRF teams are operating along with the district administration; thousands of boats have been pressed into service; and the community-kitchen network has scaled up to 1,194 kitchens across the affected districts, up from 38 kitchens on 5 September. Ministers-in-Charge and Secretaries-in-Charge have been directed to camp in the 13 Ganga-riverine districts and monitor relief in real time.

Why Bihar is India’s most flood-vulnerable state. Bihar accounts for approximately 17.2 per cent of India’s flood-prone area and about 22 per cent of the country’s flood-affected population, with 28 of 38 districts classified as flood-prone. Its geography places it downstream of Nepal-origin rivers (Kosi, Gandak, Bagmati, Kamla, Mahananda) whose catchments lie almost entirely in Nepal and whose peak flows arrive during and after the monsoon. The Kosi, historically known as the “Sorrow of Bihar”, is the most volatile.

Bihar Relevance:

  • Prelims: As of 11 September 2026, Bihar floods have affected over 46 lakh people across 15 districts; Ganga, Kosi and Gandak are above danger marks.
  • Prelims: 1,194 community kitchens are running in flood-affected districts, alongside 15 relief camps sheltering 11,255 people; thousands of boats and NDRF/SDRF teams deployed.
  • Prelims: Kosi originates in Tibet (Himalayan catchment mostly in Nepal), joins the Ganga near Kursela in Katihar district; the Gandak originates in the Central Himalayas and joins the Ganga at Sonpur (Hajipur).
  • Prelims: Bihar accounts for about 17.2 per cent of India’s flood-prone area and 22 per cent of the flood-affected population; 28 of 38 districts are flood-prone.
  • Prelims: The Kosi Barrage at Bhimnagar is the principal control structure on the Kosi, built under the Indo-Nepal Kosi Agreement, 1954.
  • Mains: Trans-boundary hydrology and India-Nepal cooperation on Kosi-Gandak-Mahakali flood management; the limitations of embankment-only strategies (the Kosi 2008 breach); community kitchens as a compact model of disaster relief in India (GS3 disaster management, GS2 IR).

2. CM Samrat Choudhary’s Aerial Survey and Riverine-District Monitoring

Why in News: Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on 6 September 2026 conducted an aerial survey of the flood-affected stretch of the Ganga in Patna, Vaishali, Saran and Bhagalpur districts, and on the same day directed the deployment of Ministers-in-Charge and Secretaries-in-Charge to the 13 Ganga-riverine districts from Buxar to Katihar to camp on the ground and monitor relief. He also inspected community kitchens for flood victims in Vaishali and Bhagalpur.

What the deployment covers. The 13 Ganga-riverine districts are Buxar, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Patna, Begusarai, Samastipur, Khagaria, Munger, Lakhisarai, Bhagalpur, Katihar and Purnea. Each district was assigned a Minister-in-Charge (a senior political appointee) and a Secretary-in-Charge (a senior IAS officer), tasked with reviewing evacuation, kitchens, medical camps and boat operations twice a day. On 5 September, the Chief Minister expressed concern that around 20 lakh cusecs were flowing through the Ganga in Bihar, above the peak of previous major flood years.

Institutional context. Bihar’s flood management runs through the Water Resources Department (for embankment and river-mouth control), the Disaster Management Department (for relief and rescue), and district administrations under Divisional Commissioners and District Magistrates. Nodal legislation is the Disaster Management Act, 2005 at the central level, complemented by the state’s own DM authority.

Bihar Relevance:

  • Prelims: Ministers-in-Charge and Secretaries-in-Charge have been posted to 13 Ganga-riverine districts from Buxar to Katihar; CM Samrat Choudhary conducted an aerial survey on 6 September 2026.
  • Prelims: The 13 riverine districts: Buxar, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Patna, Begusarai, Samastipur, Khagaria, Munger, Lakhisarai, Bhagalpur, Katihar, Purnea.
  • Prelims: On 5 September 2026, CM flagged that around 20 lakh cusecs of water were flowing through the Ganga in Bihar.
  • Prelims: Bihar’s disaster architecture: Water Resources Department (embankments), Disaster Management Department (relief), District Magistrates and Divisional Commissioners on the ground, under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
  • Prelims: The NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) is a central body raised under the DM Act, 2005; SDRF is its state-level counterpart.
  • Mains: The command-and-control architecture of flood response in a multi-district emergency; camping of senior officers as an accountability mechanism; the balance between political oversight and administrative execution during disaster response (GS3 disaster management, GS2 governance).

3. Pitripaksha Mela at Gaya Prepared Under Flood Backdrop

Why in News: Bihar’s tourism department, on 11 September 2026, reviewed the state of preparations for the Pitripaksha Mela at Gaya Ji beginning 25 September 2026, against the backdrop of the ongoing Ganga flood. Tourism Secretary Lokesh Kumar Singh confirmed that the Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC) was on schedule with the erection of a tent city of 2,500 beds, the setting up of a temporary tourist information centre, an influencer contest and the deployment of e-rickshaws along the Falgu river. However, the department has activated additional contingency arrangements in view of flood-related travel disruptions in the Ganga plain.

Why the flood does not directly affect the Falgu. The Falgu river, which flows past Gaya, is a small seasonal river fed by the Kharagpur hills of the Chota Nagpur plateau, and joins the Ganga after passing Gaya-Bodh Gaya. The Falgu at Gaya is largely a sand-bedded river with minimal surface flow outside monsoon peaks, meaning the current Ganga flood does not directly affect the mela ground at Gaya. The concern is pilgrim mobility: many devotees travel through flood-affected districts to reach Gaya.

Longer-term projects at Gaya. The Bihar government has proposed a world-class corridor around the Vishnupad Temple modelled on the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, and a modern 1,000-bed Gaya Dharamshala at Rs 120 crore being executed by BSTDC. The CM’s Homestay Incentive Scheme (up to Rs 11 lakh per beneficiary) has been extended to Vishnupad Temple, Mahabodhi Temple, Dungeshwari Temple and Gurpa Hill in Gaya district.

Bihar Relevance:

  • Prelims: The Pitripaksha Mela 2026 at Gaya Ji begins 25 September 2026; Tourism Secretary Lokesh Kumar Singh reviewed preparations on 11 September 2026.
  • Prelims: BSTDC is erecting a 2,500-bed tent city and deploying e-rickshaws along the Falgu river.
  • Prelims: The Falgu is a seasonal river of the Chota Nagpur plateau; the Vishnupad Temple stands on its banks.
  • Prelims: The Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2002) and the site of the Buddha’s enlightenment; Nalanda Mahavihara is a UNESCO WHS (2016).
  • Prelims: The Vishnupad Temple corridor is modelled on the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor at Varanasi.
  • Mains: Religious tourism as a state-level economic strategy in a disaster-prone state; balancing pilgrim safety and pilgrim numbers under climate-linked flood risk; the Buddhist Circuit as a soft-power channel (GS1 culture, GS3 economy, GS3 disaster management).

4. Makhana Vikas Yojana 2026-27: Rollout in the Kosi Belt

Why in News: The Bihar Department of Agriculture confirmed on 11 September 2026 that subsidies under the Makhana Vikas Yojana 2026-27 are being disbursed to farmers, farmer producer organisations and processing entrepreneurs across the Kosi-Mithila belt, with Darbhanga, Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Purnea, Katihar, Saharsa, Supaul and Araria districts identified as primary catchment areas. The state scheme dovetails with the National Makhana Board, inaugurated in Purnea by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September 2025, and the Centre’s six-year central-sector scheme (2025-26 to 2030-31) with an outlay of Rs 476.03 crore.

What is makhana. Makhana (Euryale ferox), also called fox nut or gorgon nut, is an aquatic-crop pond-grown seed harvested primarily in the shallow water bodies of northern Bihar. Bihar produces approximately 90 per cent of India’s makhana, with Mithila-region districts accounting for the bulk of cultivation. Makhana received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag as “Mithila Makhana” in August 2022.

What the scheme covers. The Bihar scheme provides subsidies for pond preparation and puddling, seed inputs, harvesting equipment, roasting and puffing machinery, packaging and branding. It aims to increase yield, formalise the value chain, and encourage exports to the Southeast Asian and Gulf markets. The National Makhana Board provides technical, R&D and marketing support.

Bihar Relevance:

  • Prelims: The Makhana Vikas Yojana 2026-27 is being disbursed by the Bihar Department of Agriculture in Darbhanga, Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Purnea, Katihar, Saharsa, Supaul, Araria.
  • Prelims: Makhana (Euryale ferox), or fox nut, is Bihar’s flagship aquatic crop; the state produces about 90 per cent of India’s makhana.
  • Prelims: Mithila Makhana received a GI tag in August 2022.
  • Prelims: The National Makhana Board was inaugurated in Purnea by PM Narendra Modi in September 2025; the Centre’s central-sector scheme (2025-26 to 2030-31) has an outlay of Rs 476.03 crore.
  • Prelims: Other GI-tagged Bihar products: Shahi Litchi (Muzaffarpur), Bhagalpuri silk (Tussar), Magahi Paan, Katarni rice and Madhubani paintings.
  • Mains: Region-specific crop economics (aquatic crops in shallow-water Bihar); the National Makhana Board as institutional convergence for a niche commodity; GI tagging and export strategy as an income-diversification path in flood-vulnerable districts (GS3 agriculture, GS2 institutions).

5. Bihar’s Buddhist-Heritage Push: Bodh Gaya, Nalanda and the Buddhist Circuit

Why in News: In parallel with the Pitripaksha Mela preparations, Bihar’s tourism department on 11 September 2026 confirmed the continued rollout of infrastructure and marketing for the state’s Buddhist Circuit, spanning Bodh Gaya, Rajgir, Nalanda and Vaishali. The CM’s Homestay Incentive Scheme (up to Rs 11 lakh per beneficiary) has now been extended to the Vishnupad Temple, Mahabodhi Temple, Dungeshwari Temple and Gurpa Hill sub-areas.

The Buddhist Circuit anchors. The Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya, marking the site of the Buddha’s enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002. The archaeological ruins of Nalanda Mahavihara, one of the world’s earliest residential universities, was inscribed as a UNESCO WHS in 2016; the modern Nalanda University was refounded in 2010 under a central Act on a campus near the ancient site. Rajgir in Nalanda district hosts the Vishwa Shanti Stupa and India’s only Ropeway to a stupa; Vaishali is where the Buddha delivered his last sermon and is associated with the first Buddhist Council.

Diplomatic footprint. Bihar’s Buddhist Circuit draws visitors from Sri Lanka, Japan, Thailand, Myanmar, China, South Korea, Cambodia and Vietnam, and is a soft-power channel in India’s engagement with Buddhist-majority countries. The Lotus Triangle initiative (Bodh Gaya-Rajgir-Vaishali) is designed for Thai and Southeast Asian pilgrims specifically.

Bihar Relevance:

  • Prelims: The Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2002) and marks the site of the Buddha’s enlightenment.
  • Prelims: The archaeological ruins of Nalanda Mahavihara were inscribed as a UNESCO WHS in 2016; the modern Nalanda University was established under a central Act in 2010.
  • Prelims: Vaishali hosted the First Buddhist Council (traditionally dated soon after the Buddha’s parinirvana, held at Rajgir; the Second Buddhist Council was held at Vaishali about a century later).
  • Prelims: The CM Homestay Incentive Scheme provides up to Rs 11 lakh per eligible beneficiary; extended to Gaya district’s Vishnupad, Mahabodhi, Dungeshwari and Gurpa Hill sub-areas.
  • Prelims: The Lotus Triangle initiative covers Bodh Gaya, Rajgir and Vaishali; Rajgir has India’s only ropeway to a stupa (Vishwa Shanti Stupa).
  • Mains: Buddhist heritage as diplomatic soft power in India’s Act East and neighbourhood policy; the challenge of pilgrim-infrastructure carrying capacity around fragile monuments; homestay-based tourism as inclusive economic diversification for Bihar (GS1 culture, GS2 international relations, GS3 economy).

Practice MCQs

1. As of 11 September 2026, the Bihar Ganga-Kosi-Gandak flood situation is correctly described by which of the following?

a) Around 5 lakh people affected in 3 districts, with the Kosi below danger mark b) Over 46 lakh people affected across 15 districts, with 1,194 community kitchens running and Ministers-in-Charge deployed to 13 Ganga-riverine districts from Buxar to Katihar c) Around 10 lakh people affected in 8 districts, with all rivers below the danger mark and no NDRF deployment d) A drought emergency declared across 20 southern Bihar districts on 5 September 2026

Answer: b

Explanation: As of 11 September 2026, more than 46 lakh people across 15 Bihar districts had been affected by floods on the Ganga, Kosi and Gandak, all flowing above their danger marks at multiple gauge stations. The state has scaled up its community-kitchen network to 1,194 kitchens across affected districts (from 38 on 5 September), and deployed NDRF and SDRF teams with thousands of boats. CM Samrat Choudhary conducted an aerial survey on 6 September and directed Ministers-in-Charge and Secretaries-in-Charge to camp in the 13 Ganga-riverine districts from Buxar to Katihar (Buxar, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Patna, Begusarai, Samastipur, Khagaria, Munger, Lakhisarai, Bhagalpur, Katihar, Purnea). On 5 September, the CM noted that around 20 lakh cusecs of water were flowing through the Ganga in Bihar. Bihar accounts for around 17.2 per cent of India’s flood-prone area and 28 of its 38 districts are flood-prone; the Kosi is historically termed the “Sorrow of Bihar”.

2. The Makhana Vikas Yojana 2026-27, whose subsidies began flowing in September 2026, is correctly linked with which national institutional structure?

a) The National Horticulture Mission under the Ministry of Agriculture, with a state matching share of 60 per cent b) The APEDA-administered Agri Export Zone framework, with Bihar as the sole implementing state c) The National Makhana Board (inaugurated in Purnea by PM Modi in September 2025) and the Centre’s central-sector scheme (2025-26 to 2030-31, outlay Rs 476.03 crore) d) The Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) with a mandatory certification of all makhana under Codex Alimentarius

Answer: c

Explanation: The Bihar Makhana Vikas Yojana 2026-27 dovetails with the National Makhana Board, inaugurated in Purnea by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September 2025, and the Centre’s six-year central-sector scheme (2025-26 to 2030-31) with an outlay of Rs 476.03 crore. The state scheme provides subsidies for pond preparation and puddling, seed inputs, harvesting, roasting and puffing machinery, packaging and branding, targeting Darbhanga, Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Purnea, Katihar, Saharsa, Supaul and Araria. Bihar produces about 90 per cent of India’s makhana (Euryale ferox), and Mithila Makhana received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in August 2022. Other GI-tagged Bihar products include Shahi Litchi (Muzaffarpur), Bhagalpuri silk (Tussar), Magahi Paan, Katarni rice and Madhubani paintings.

3. Which of the following correctly identifies Bihar’s Kosi and Gandak rivers?

a) Both rivers originate in the Aravalli range and drain into the Bay of Bengal b) Both rivers originate in the Kaimur plateau and drain south into the Ganga at Patna c) The Kosi is a right-bank tributary of the Ganga rising in the Chota Nagpur plateau; the Gandak rises in the Rajmahal Hills d) The Kosi originates in Tibet and joins the Ganga near Kursela (Katihar); the Gandak originates in the Central Himalayas and joins the Ganga at Sonpur (Hajipur)

Answer: d

Explanation: The Kosi (Koshi) rises in Tibet, with the greater part of its catchment in Nepal, and joins the Ganga near Kursela in Katihar district of Bihar. It is a left-bank tributary of the Ganga, historically called the “Sorrow of Bihar” for its channel-shifting behaviour and the 2008 breach that flooded a wide swathe of Kosi-Mithila. The Kosi Barrage at Bhimnagar, on the India-Nepal border, is the principal control structure, built under the Indo-Nepal Kosi Agreement, 1954. The Gandak (Narayani in Nepal) originates in the Central Himalayas of Nepal and joins the Ganga at Sonpur, adjacent to Hajipur, opposite Patna. Both rivers are Himalayan-fed and their catchments lie largely in Nepal, making Bihar’s flood response deeply dependent on India-Nepal cooperation on flood forecasting and water management.

4. Bihar’s Buddhist Circuit, given a fresh homestay-scheme push in September 2026, is anchored by which of the following UNESCO-designated heritage sites?

a) The Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya (WHS 2002) and the archaeological ruins of Nalanda Mahavihara (WHS 2016), with Rajgir and Vaishali as key affiliated sites b) The Konark Sun Temple and the Rani-ki-Vav stepwell, both located in Bihar c) The Ellora and Ajanta caves, which are in Bihar’s Chota Nagpur belt d) The Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka, located in Bihar’s Kaimur plateau

Answer: a

Explanation: Bihar’s Buddhist Circuit is anchored by the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002, marking the site of the Buddha’s enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, and the archaeological ruins of Nalanda Mahavihara, inscribed as a UNESCO WHS in 2016. Nalanda was one of the world’s earliest residential universities; modern Nalanda University was refounded in 2010 under a central Act on a campus near the ancient ruins. Rajgir hosts the Vishwa Shanti Stupa (India’s only ropeway to a stupa); Vaishali hosted the Second Buddhist Council. The First Buddhist Council was held at Rajgir soon after the Buddha’s parinirvana. The Lotus Triangle initiative (Bodh Gaya-Rajgir-Vaishali) is designed for Thai and Southeast Asian pilgrims. Konark, Rani-ki-Vav, Ellora, Ajanta and Bhimbetka are all outside Bihar and unrelated to its Buddhist Circuit.

5. The Pitripaksha Mela 2026 preparations reviewed on 11 September 2026 are correctly summarised by which of the following?

a) The mela at Gaya Ji begins 25 September 2026; BSTDC is erecting a 2,500-bed tent city and running an influencer contest, with a Vishnupad Temple corridor modelled on the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor under longer-term planning b) The mela at Rajgir begins 1 October 2026 and is held once every 12 years, coinciding with Simhastha Kumbh c) The mela at Patna begins 15 September 2026 and is a state-organised event on the Ganga ghats to commemorate Bihar Diwas d) The mela at Vaishali begins 25 October 2026 and is a Buddhist-only event with no Hindu pilgrimage tradition

Answer: a

Explanation: The Pitripaksha Mela is a fortnight-long Hindu congregation at Gaya Ji, Bihar, beginning 25 September 2026, during which devotees from across India and abroad perform pind daan (Shraddha rites) on the banks of the Falgu river to seek peace for their ancestors. The Bihar tourism department on 11 September 2026 confirmed that BSTDC is on schedule with a 2,500-bed tent city, a temporary tourist information centre, e-rickshaw deployment, an influencer contest (“Pitripaksh Mela: Through the Eyes of an Influencer”), and a dedicated helpline. Longer-term plans include a world-class corridor around the Vishnupad Temple modelled on the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor at Varanasi, and a 1,000-bed Gaya Dharamshala at Rs 120 crore under construction by BSTDC. The Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya (UNESCO WHS 2002), the site of the Buddha’s enlightenment, is in the same district. The Falgu is a seasonal river of the Chota Nagpur plateau, largely unaffected by the current Ganga flood, though pilgrim mobility remains a concern.