A fresh report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Bihar Election Watch has shed light on the criminal, financial, and educational backgrounds of the Bihar Council of Ministers for 2025. The analysis covers 24 out of the 27 ministers, including the Chief Minister, based on the self-sworn affidavits they filed before the 2025 Assembly and Legislative Council elections. Two nominated ministers—Ashok Chaudhary of JD(U) and Dr. Pramod Kumar of the BJP—were exempt from filing affidavits, while the details of Deepak Prakash of RLM could not be examined as he is not a current member of either House.
According to the report, almost half of the ministers in Bihar have criminal cases registered against them. Out of the 24 ministers analysed, 11 ministers—making up 46 percent—have declared criminal cases in their affidavits, and among them, nine ministers (38 percent) are facing serious criminal charges. Party-wise analysis shows that the BJP has the highest number of ministers with criminal records, with six out of its 13 ministers facing serious charges. JD(U) has two ministers with criminal cases, of whom one faces serious charges, while the sole minister from the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) has serious criminal cases. Both ministers from the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) have criminal cases, with one of them facing serious charges.
The financial analysis presents an equally striking picture, with 21 of the 24 ministers—equivalent to 88 percent—falling into the crorepati category. Ministers from JD(U) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) are all crorepatis, while 85 percent of BJP ministers and half of the LJP (Ram Vilas) ministers also fall into the same bracket. The average wealth of the ministers stands at ₹5.32 crore. Rama Nishad from the Aurai constituency has declared the highest assets amounting to ₹31.86 crore, whereas Sanjay Kumar from Bakhri (SC) has the lowest declared assets valued at ₹22.30 lakh. A total of 15 ministers, accounting for 63 percent, have declared liabilities, with Vijay Kumar Sinha of Lakhisarai leading the list with liabilities worth ₹82.33 lakh.
The report also highlights the educational, age, and gender profile of the Bihar cabinet. About 33 percent of the ministers have educational qualifications between Class 10 and Class 12, while a significant 63 percent hold graduate degrees or higher qualifications. One minister has declared a diploma qualification. When it comes to age distribution, the cabinet consists predominantly of senior leaders, with 79 percent of ministers falling in the age bracket of 51 to 80 years, while only 21 percent are aged between 30 and 50. The representation of women remains notably low, as only three out of the 27 ministers in the Bihar cabinet are women.
ADR has made the complete reports in English and Hindi available on its website, enabling citizens to access the detailed findings and better understand the background of those holding key positions in Bihar’s government.