Patna: The Bihar Government has taken another significant step toward strengthening child-focused public spending by organizing a one-day technical consultation workshop on the Bihar Child Welfare Budget 2026–27. The workshop aimed to improve the structure, classification, allocation, and expenditure framework of the state’s child welfare budget.
The event was organized by the Finance Department in collaboration with UNICEF and the Centre for Child Rights at Chanakya National Law University (CNLU), Patna. Senior government officials, financial experts, policymakers, and representatives from national and international development organizations participated in discussions on enhancing child-centric public financial management.
Bihar Among India’s Leading States in Child Budgeting
Addressing the technical session, Finance Department Secretary (Expenditure) Rachna Patil said Bihar has been one of the country’s leading states in institutionalizing child budgeting since 2013-14.
She noted that over the past 13 years, the state has given unprecedented importance to children’s welfare in its budgetary priorities.
According to Patil, the share of child-centric expenditure in the overall state budget has increased by nearly 11 percentage points during this period, reflecting the government’s sustained focus on improving outcomes for children.
Per-Child Public Spending Has Increased More Than Seven Times
Highlighting the state’s financial commitment to children’s welfare, Rachna Patil said that per-child public expenditure in Bihar has increased more than seven-fold in FY 2024-25 compared to FY 2013-14.
She described the increase as a major milestone in ensuring greater investments in children’s education, healthcare, nutrition, and overall development.
Education Receives the Largest Allocation in Child Welfare Budget 2026-27
The Finance Secretary said that education has been accorded the highest priority under the Bihar Child Welfare Budget 2026-27.
The education sector accounts for 81.56% of the total child welfare budget, registering a 13.9% increase compared to the allocation made in 2025-26.
She emphasized that achieving the objectives of child budgeting requires coordinated efforts by multiple departments, including:
- Education
- Health
- Social Welfare
- Public Health Engineering
UNICEF Highlights Importance of Investing in Bihar’s Children
Speaking at the workshop, Dr. Monica O. Nielsen, Chief of UNICEF Bihar Field Office, said that children constitute nearly 48% of Bihar’s total population, amounting to approximately 4.98 crore children.
She stressed that Bihar’s long-term and sustainable development depends on effective investment in children’s education, health, nutrition, and protection.
According to UNICEF, strengthening child-focused budgeting will play a crucial role in improving human development indicators across the state.
Technical Consultation Focused on Strengthening Child-Centric Public Finance
The workshop served as a platform for discussions on improving the planning, allocation, monitoring, and implementation of child welfare expenditure. Experts from government departments, finance institutions, policy organizations, and development agencies exchanged ideas on making the Child Welfare Budget 2026-27 more transparent, efficient, and outcome-oriented.
The consultation is expected to further strengthen Bihar’s child budgeting framework and ensure that public resources are utilized more effectively for children’s overall development.
