Ruchir writes on health, aviation, power and myriad other issues. An ex-TOI, he has worked both on Desk and in reporting. He over 25 years of broadcast and print journalism experience in Assam, Jharkhand & Bihar.
Articles by Ruchir Kumar
CPI-ML LS poll manifesto bats for electoral reforms, return to paper ballot
The electoral reforms the CPI-ML suggested included putting a cap on the election expenditure of political parties, right to the electorate to recall elected representatives and automatic cancellation of their membership in case of defection
Published on Apr 08, 2024 06:33 PM IST
INDIA bloc slams BJP’s ‘lies’ at its rally in Bihar
Top opposition leaders of the INDIA alliance criticized the BJP in a rally in Patna, targeting Bihar CM Nitish Kumar for switching alliances.
Updated on Mar 04, 2024 04:42 AM IST
Ruchir Kumar, Patna
INDIA bloc leaders sound poll bugle, give ‘oust BJP’ call in Bihar rally
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi termed Bihar the political nerve center of the country, and said whenever there was a transformation, it began from Bihar
Updated on Mar 03, 2024 10:34 PM IST
Nitish meets Union health secretary, reiterates demand for AIIMS at Shobhan
Chandra, a civil engineer from IIT-Delhi, reached Darbhanga on Monday, where he inspected the Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), a super speciality hospital
Published on Feb 14, 2024 02:59 PM IST
Ruchir KumarBishnu K Jha
Inflated hospital bills: AIIMS Patna lodges FIR against Delhi firm’s owner, staff
The AIIMS has since discontinued services of the firm after having entered into a three-year service contract with them on March 17, 2021
Published on Feb 02, 2024 03:27 PM IST
Probe ordered after infant shifted by Bihar govt doctor to his nursing home dies
The infant’s family said the newborn, died soon after the baby was discharged from the private clinic on January 21 with Ambu bag support
Updated on Jan 25, 2024 04:46 PM IST
Probe ordered after infant shifted by Bihar govt doctor to his nursing home dies
The family said the newborn, discharged from the private clinic with Ambu bag support, died immediately on removal of the ventilation support
Published on Jan 25, 2024 01:45 PM IST
Patna DM writes to chief secretary after edu dept objects schools’ closure order
KK Pathak, additional chief secretary of the education department, in a letter to divisional commissioners on January 20, had earlier asked officials to desist from closing government educational institutions, without prior permission of the department
Updated on Jan 25, 2024 06:30 PM IST
Patna DM orders closure of schools till Thursday amid intense cold conditions
Patna shivered at a minimum temperature of 7.2 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, after recording the season’s lowest minimum of 5.1 degrees Celsius on Monday
Published on Jan 24, 2024 11:47 AM IST
Patna hospital 37 ‘muhurat deliveries’
However, government hospitals in Patna did not have any such elective deliveries to coincide with the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Published on Jan 22, 2024 09:41 PM IST
Ruchir Kumar, Patna
IndiGo pilot refuses to fly after getting news of grandma’s death
The aircraft, with 162 passengers on board, had left the parking bay to prepare for take off when the first officer got the news about his grandmother’s demise.
Published on Jan 18, 2024 09:17 AM IST
Cold and fog: 9 flights cancelled; closure of Patna schools extended till Jan 20
The DM had earlier shut academic activities for four days from January 13 to 16, after deferring the school timings to 9am earlier this month.
Published on Jan 16, 2024 09:35 PM IST
Ruchir Kumar, Patna
AIIMS Patna terminates service of Delhi firm for inflating hospital bills
The decision comes four days after HT flagged the matter to AIIMS Patna through an e-mail on January 11, seeking an official reaction
Published on Jan 16, 2024 02:55 PM IST
Bihar asks Centre to clear intent on constitutional shield for its new quota laws
Both the amendment bills on quota were passed by the state legislature during its winter session earlier this month.
Published on Nov 23, 2023 09:16 PM IST
Ruchir Kumar, Patna
Yadav, Muslim numbers inflated in Bihar caste survey, says Amit Shah
Addressing a rally in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, Shah said that decision to hold caste survey in the state was taken when the JD(U) was a part of the NDA.
Updated on Nov 06, 2023 01:29 AM IST
Nitish recalls RJD’s ‘darker times’ to highlight ‘shining’ Bihar
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar compared the power situation in the state before he took office in 2005 to highlight improvements made under his leadership. Kumar also called on the power firm to complete installation of smart prepaid meters and promote solar power. This is not the first time Kumar has criticized the previous RJD rule in Bihar.
Updated on Nov 01, 2023 09:58 PM IST
Ruchir Kumar, Patna
Bihar to relinquish 832 MW power from NTPC, allays fears of shortage
BSPHCL, in an email to the NTPC, has said it was exiting from the over 25-year-old bulk power supply agreement from two units of Farakka and one unit of the Kahalgaon super thermal power plants.
Published on Oct 21, 2023 09:34 PM IST
Ruchir Kumar, Patna
DoT flags 865 pending telcom tower proposals with Bihar govt
Bihar has the lowest tele-density of 55.81% nationally, as against the national tele-density of 84.43%.
Published on Sep 27, 2023 09:02 PM IST
Ruchir Kumar, Patna
Fight against filaria: Adverse events, refusal to take drug hampers drive in Bihar
All 38 districts of Bihar, which was endemic to lymphatic filariasis, reported 1.25 lakh cases of lymphedema (swelling of limbs) and hydrocele (swelling in the scrotum) in 2020-21.
Updated on Sep 25, 2023 09:14 PM IST
Ruchir Kumar, Patna
Will suspend 10 students for ragging, says Patna medical college principal
Patna Medical College Hospital principal Dr Vidya Pati Choudhary said the decision to suspend the students for 10 days was taken at a meeting of heads of depts
Published on Sep 22, 2023 04:41 PM IST
Bihar chief secy suffers brain stroke, in ICU
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar visited the Paras-HMRI hospital in Patna to check on chief secretary Amir Subhani, who suffered a brain stroke after a fall.
Updated on Sep 15, 2023 09:14 PM IST
Ruchir Kumar, Patna
Bihar chief secretary admitted due to brain stroke, CM Nitish Kumar pays visit
Amir Subhani was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the neurosurgery department of the Paras-HMRI Hospital late Thursday evening due to a minor brain haemorrhage
Updated on Sep 15, 2023 08:23 PM IST
Biometric attendance soon to be must for Bihar medical students: Officials
The Bihar University of Health Sciences has also initiated steps to set up an integrated command control centre at the university office in Patna to monitor online and through CCTV all academic activities across the 14 medical colleges under it
Updated on Sep 10, 2023 04:54 PM IST
Patna DM down with dengue; CM holds meeting as cases rise
Number of dengue cases in the state has risen to 295, with Bhagalpur reporting the maximum number of cases (105), followed by Patna at 102.
Updated on Sep 04, 2023 10:19 PM IST
Ruchir Kumar, Patna
AIIMS-Patna to buys drones to supply drugs, vaccines, anti-snake venom
AIIMS-Patna executive director (ED) Dr Gopal Krushna Pal said the drone service is expected to begin early next year
Updated on Sep 04, 2023 04:30 PM IST
No end in sight for Bihar’s AIIMS row
PM Modi's claim of a new AIIMS in Darbhanga sparked controversy as the state government and Union health minister traded blame over the delay in construction
Updated on Aug 28, 2023 12:42 PM IST
Bishnu K JhaRuchir Kumar, Darbhanga/patna
Docs sore over NMC decision to curtail 3 depts from essential list at medical colleges
The National Medical Commission (NMC) has removed three departments from the list of essential departments for medical colleges, causing tension with doctors. The departments of physical medicine and rehabilitation, respiratory medicine, and emergency medicine were removed, sparking criticism from experts in those fields. The NMC has also faced backlash for other recent decisions, including banning doctors from attending seminars sponsored by pharmaceutical companies and making it mandatory for them to prescribe generic drugs.
Updated on Aug 24, 2023 10:27 PM IST
Ruchir Kumar, Patna
Tejashwi writes to Mandaviya again to reconsider decision on AIIMS Darbhanga site
The Bihar government requested the Centre to reconsider its decision for granting expeditious approval to the alternate site proposed by the state
Updated on Aug 20, 2023 02:05 PM IST
Bihar restoring to power-shedding despite surplus, says Union power minister
Union power minister RK Singh said Bihar was among the three states in India that was still resorting to power-shedding, despite India having turned from a power-deficit to a power-surplus country over the last nine years.
Updated on Aug 18, 2023 09:42 PM IST
Ruchir Kumar, Patna
Inside the survey to enumerate India’s oldest fault line
Once the operative part of the exercise got off the ground, it became clear that enumerating 29 million households was no easy task
Updated on Apr 17, 2024 07:57 PM IST