In ancient times, Bihar was a major centre of education and learning. It’s the place where Nalanda University, one of the world’s oldest and largest universities, flourished during the 5th and 12th Century. It attracted students not just from different parts of India but also from other countries. But as the centuries passed, the state of Bihar was reduced to a shadow of its former self. However, in the modern times, Bihar has taken big strides forwards when it comes to providing the best educational opportunities to the students. The education system in Bihar is improving faster than most other parts of India.
In recent years, many new educational institutes have come up in the state. If we talk of engineering education, Bihar is emerging as one of the main centers of education in India. There are many prominent government engineering colleges in the state. These include Indian Institute of Technology, National institute of Technology, Bhagalpur College of Engineering, Darbhanga College of Engineering, Gaya College of Engineering, Muzaffarpur Institute of Technology and Motihari College of Engineering.
Apart from these there are many private engineering colleges in Bihar. Some of the prominent ones include Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology, Millia Institute of technology, Vidya Vihar Institute of Technology and Moti Babu Institute of Engineering and Technology. Many engineering coaching institutes have also opened their branches in Patna and other cities in Bihar. This has reduced the number of students migrating to Delhi and other major cities for preparation of engineering entrance exams.
When it comes to getting into a good engineering college in Bihar, the first step is to enroll for BCECE entrance exam. It’s a state level engineering entrance exam conducted by Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board. Clearing this exam will allow engineering aspirants to pursue undergraduate engineering programs offered by different engineering colleges in the state.
While the state of Bihar has made much progress on the education front, there is a lot that needs to be done to improve educational facilities in Bihar. There is still a wide gap between demand and supply of education in the state. A significant percentage of Bihar students choose to migrate to other states for higher education. However with more engineering, medical and other colleges in the pipeline, this trend may change soon.