Prior to the Global Bihar Development Convention 2027, a two-day
International Conference on “Bihar’s Development: Evidence, Perspectives,
and Emerging Development Pathways” will be organised on 10-11 January
2027. The Conference will provide a platform for scholars, researchers,
experts, and professionals to present their research papers and deliberate on
issues addressing Bihar’s key development challenges. The issues may span
widely, covering both the Convention themes and other significant
development issues related to the State.
Scholars, researchers, and experts working on Bihar’s development issues
are invited to submit original full papers. An abstract of 300 words or full
papers are invited by 20 November 2026. After peer review, the authors of
selected abstracts will be invited for full paper submission by 25 November
2026. The deadline for full paper submission (between 6,000–8,000 words)
is 26 December 2026. Apart from this competitive call for papers, some
selected scholars will be invited to contribute papers and present them at the
Conference.
The Conference will provide an opportunity for deeper discussion and
preparation of evidence-based papers around the following themes:
Agrarian Change and Rural Transformation
Sustainable and climate-smart agri-food systems; agricultural productivity and farm incomes; rural economic diversification; farmer collectivisation through FPOs and cooperatives; market linkages and value chains; technology, mechanisation and farm labour; livestock and fisheries.
MSMEs and Entrepreneurship
Own-account and household enterprises; artisan and weaver clusters; street vending and informal enterprises; registered MSMEs and industrial policy; industrial incentives and enterprise development; access to credit and finance; entrepreneurship development, training and support systems.
Employment, Migration and Labour Markets
Job creation and the future of work; unemployment and underemployment; wages and earnings; gig and platform work; Bihar’s demographic window and youth transitions to work; migration for employment and education; remittances; migrants’ rights and social security; wages and earnings; gig and platform work; Bihar’s demographic window and youth transitions to work; migration for employment and education; remittances; migrants’ rights and social security.
Education and Skills
School education and learning outcomes; higher and technical education; access, quality and equity in education; educational migration; education governance and institutional capacity; public resources and financing; skills, training and employability.
Gender, Work and Women’s Economic Empowerment
Female labour force participation; unpaid and care work; Jeevika and Self Help Groups; financial inclusion; women’s asset ownership; safety and mobility; gendered impacts of male out-migration; access to higher education and skills; education-to-work transitions.
Health, Nutrition and Well-being
Public health infrastructure and primary healthcare; maternal and child health; child nutrition; ICDS, mid-day meals and other nutrition programmes; reproductive health; food security; the role of private and informal healthcare providers; Ayushman Bharat coverage and utilisation; inequalities in health outcomes; adolescent health; disease burden and epidemiological transition; water, sanitation and their links to nutrition and health.
Social Protection
Poverty and inequality; vulnerability and social exclusion; EBCs, SCs, STs and other marginalised communities; older persons and persons with disabilities; social protection systems and welfare programmes; improving access, coverage and effectiveness of social protection.
Urbanisation, Small Towns and Urban Governance
Rural-urban linkages and urban transition; small and medium-sized towns; municipal finance and institutional capacity; housing, sanitation and basic services; informal settlements and urban livelihoods; flood and drainage infrastructure and management; strengthening urban local bodies and governance.
Infrastructure, Connectivity and Logistics
Roads, railways and inland waterways; electricity access, affordability and reliability; digital connectivity; warehousing and logistics; cold-chain infrastructure; connectivity as a driver of economic transformation.
Climate, Environment, Energy and Disaster Resilience
Flooding and drought; groundwater and arsenic contamination; climate smart agriculture and adaptation; flood and water management; disaster preparedness and resilience; renewable energy and energy access; improving air and water quality; waste management and environmental sustainability.
Investment, Resources and Public Finance
State fiscal capacity; quality and effectiveness of public expenditure; Centre State transfers; investment trends and mobilisation of resources; banking and non-banking sources of finance; private investment and FDI; engaging the Bihari diaspora in attracting investment.
Governance, Institutions and Service Delivery
Administrative and institutional capacity; law and order; Panchayati Raj and decentralisation; transparency and accountability; grievance redressal; implementation gaps; efficiency and quality of public service delivery.
Technology, Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence
Digital public infrastructure; digital divides based on gender and location; technology, employment and future of work; digital technologies for improving governance and service delivery.
Culture, Heritage, Tourism and the Creative Economy
Pilgrimage and Buddhist tourism circuits; heritage conservation and local livelihoods; crafts, artisans and market access; cultural enterprises; creative industries; tourism infrastructure and connectivity; sustainable tourism; strengthening ecosystem for tourism-led development.
Bihar: Identity, Culture and Belonging
Regional identity and belonging; non-resident Biharis and the wider Bihari diaspora; second-generation Bihari identity; regional languages and cultural traditions; folklore, arts and crafts; cultural preservation and promotion; engaging the overseas and wider Bihari diaspora; building stronger connections between the diaspora and Bihar’s development.