"Our government has started 41 new schemes. We have adopted roughly 100 plus innovations in governance," says Sushil Modi, the chief minister's trusted deputy One such scheme is to give a cycle to every girl who goes beyond ninth standard. "A girl riding a cycle to the school induces change in the thinking of the society," says. He believes that the changed self-perception of the Biharis, though intangible, is the fountain of all other changes to come. "People feel safe; kidnapping for ransom, which had become an industry has stopped. Big contractors who had fled the state are returning. People increasingly find work. Moreover, they see hope," he says.

Bihar Is Governable
Bihar, as they say, is not a state but a state of mind. That's changing for sure.

Government has played a huge role in the change. "We are disproving the theory that Bihar is ungovernable," the chief minister says. "Earlier, teachers and doctors skipped work with impunity. Now, not only that you find doctors, but you also find free medicine at primary health centres," says Shaibal Gupta.

The chief minister says, "We appointed more than two lakh teachers for one. Then quality became an issue and we are now focusing on it. The change is that earlier nothing existed for anyone to complain about quality." The huge thrust on primary health and education is showing results already - 24 lakh children were out of school when this government took office; now it is reduced to 10 lakhs. Bihar's human development indices are set to look up. But the state's public health system does not have a single MRI machine yet. "Bihar should be compared only with what it was before," warns Gupta.

The Bihar that Nitish took over was in bad shape. The government had not appointed teachers, engineers, policemen and civil officials for years. The Bihar State Public Service Commission had not conducted its exams for seven years in a rom With hundreds of field officials missing, the state did not have the capacity to do anything and even central allocations under different schemes went unutilised. He had to begin by appointing engineers and doctors on contract and even raise a police force comprising retired military personnel. In the first two years, the state government recruited 3,11,852 people. It is in the process of appointing 2017 junior engineers, the crucial link in all development works.

Nitish's Critical Role
Kumar went to engineering college only to please his father But unlike his father who was a congressman, the budding politician found himself tilting towards the Socialists. At college he learnt more of social engineering. Lalu Yaday and Sushil Modi were then his contemporaries - the former is his principal political opponent now. When Yaday ran for Patna University president's post, Kumar got him 450 of 500 votes from the engineering college. They may be on the opposite sides of the net now but they stay in touch - Yaday called last week to protest that Kumar did not send him lichi this season.

Having ruled Bihar for 15 years from 1990 to 2005, Yaday remains an icon - mangoes, crackers and beedis are sold under the Lalu brand name, though he has nothing to do with them. He's charismatic, reckless and has no time for details. In contrast, Kumar is studious, understated and has an eye for details. "Lalu's victories came from his good luck. Nitish's from his hard work," says JD (U) Rajya Sab- ha member Shivanand Tiwari, who has known both for decades.