The disclosures show that officials appointed by the state government to train government personnel at BIPARD received substantial sums for conducting part-time training sessions. Among those who received large payments were IAS officers and employees at the assistant section officer level. The findings have also raised questions about payments made to individuals whose names were reportedly absent from the approved faculty panel.
A former assistant section officer working in the General Administration Department was paid ₹17,92,450 over three years for delivering lectures at BIPARD Patna. The institute's overall payments to guest faculty could be considerably higher, according to the details emerging from the RTI disclosures.
BIPARD Patna paid more than ₹3.50 crore to guest faculty during the financial year 2023-24. The amount stood at more than ₹2.53 crore in 2024-25. Between April 1, 2025, and August 31, 2025, the institute paid ₹2.11 crore to guest faculty.
During the same period, a woman’s bank account reportedly received ₹6.50 lakh, despite her name not appearing on the faculty panel. The disclosures have also drawn attention to payments made to relatives of officials.
The RTI records indicate that IAS officers from the Bihar cadre also found time to teach government officials undergoing training at BIPARD. One woman IAS officer reportedly received more than ₹6 lakh for her teaching assignments.
Questions have also been raised over payments made to an official serving on a commission constituted by the state government. The official reportedly received lakhs of rupees over three years for teaching at the institute. The issue is whether the officer had sufficient time to conduct training sessions in addition to fulfilling regular government responsibilities.
Under BIPARD's stated provisions, government employees are required to conduct training sessions outside their designated working duties. The substantial payments disclosed through the RTI records have prompted questions about the number of classes conducted by government officials and the time they could have devoted to these assignments alongside their primary responsibilities.
The payment rules reportedly provide for different honorarium rates depending on the category of guest faculty. According to sources, government employees are paid for teaching assignments based on their pay scale and applicable provisions. This has raised further questions about how some officials accumulated payments running into lakhs of rupees.
The former assistant section officer in the General Administration Department received ₹10,07,350 during 2023-24, ₹3,82,500 during 2024-25 and ₹4,02,600 in 2025. The total payment over the three years amounted to ₹17,92,450.
BIPARD reportedly has three categories of honorarium rates for guest faculty. Non-government faculty members are paid ₹1,200 per hour, amounting to ₹1,800 for a 90-minute class. State cadre officers receive ₹1,500 per hour, or ₹2,250 for a class lasting one and a half hours.
IAS officers posted in Bihar are paid ₹2,000 per hour, equivalent to ₹3,000 for a 90-minute class. They are also entitled to an additional ₹500 as travel allowance on days when they conduct classes. IAS officers from outside Bihar are reportedly paid ₹5,000 per hour, which works out to ₹7,500 for a 90-minute class.
The ₹7,500 amount for IAS officers from outside the state is calculated on the basis of the prescribed rate of ₹5,000 per hour and applies when a class lasts one and a half hours.
The payment figures have also raised questions about the frequency of teaching assignments undertaken by government employees. The RTI disclosures suggest that those receiving substantial honorariums would have needed to conduct classes regularly in addition to their primary duties, potentially including on working days throughout the month.
Secretariat working hours are prescribed from 9:30 am to 6 pm, with a 30-minute lunch break. BIPARD reportedly follows the same lunch-break duration. The timing of classes and the availability of officials to conduct them therefore remain relevant to questions surrounding the payments.
The records also identify the highest-paid guest faculty members in individual financial years. During 2023-24, Ashish Manaswin received ₹11,48,000, the highest amount listed for that period. In 2024-25, Shri Kameshwar Pandey topped the list with payments of ₹12,20,825.
A separate payment statement dated August 31, 2025, contains an entry of ₹62,82,200 against Ashish Manaswin’s name. However, the period covered by this statement and the basis of the payment require separate clarification. The amount cannot be directly added to figures from other financial years without establishing the relevant accounting period and payment details.
For the financial year 2025-26, up to August 31, 2025, the list records ₹10,87,500 against the name of Amritesh Kumar (Yoga). The same set of records also shows ₹62,82,200 against Ashish Manaswin, but this entry does not match the total reflected in the table. Without verification against the original documents, the amount cannot be treated as a confirmed payment.
The disclosures have brought BIPARD's guest faculty payments, the selection of trainers and the allocation of teaching assignments under scrutiny. The reported payments to government officials and individuals whose names were allegedly absent from the approved panel have raised questions about compliance with the institute's rules and the transparency of its expenditure.
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