CM Samrat Chaudhary Hands Jobs to 19 Athletes Under Bihar Scheme
Synopsis
Bihar CM Samrat Chaudhary on 24 July 2026 handed appointment letters to 19 athletes — including international cricketers Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar — under the 'Medal Lao, Naukri Pao' scheme at Urja Auditorium, Patna, converting sporting excellence into state government employment.
Key Takeaways
19 athletes received government appointment letters at the event in Patna on 24 July 2026 .
International-level players Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar were among the recipients.
The 'Medal Lao, Naukri Pao' scheme links international sporting achievement directly to Bihar state government employment.
The event was organised by the Bihar Sports Department at Urja Auditorium, Patna .
Bihar's policy mirrors similar athlete-employment schemes in Haryana , Punjab , and Madhya Pradesh .
CM Samrat Chaudhary personally presented the appointment letters to all recipients.
The Chief Minister's Office of Bihar announced on Friday, 24 July 2026 that Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary presented appointment letters to 19 outstanding athletes — including international cricketers Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar — under the state's 'Medal Lao, Naukri Pao' ('Win a Medal, Get a Job') scheme at a Sports Department event held at Urja Auditorium, Patna.
Context
The 'Medal Lao, Naukri Pao' scheme directly links international-level sporting achievement to state government employment, converting athletic excellence into guaranteed public-sector appointments. At the event, CM Samrat Chaudhary personally handed appointment letters to all 19 athletes, underscoring the government's intent to publicly honour competitive achievement.
Among the recipients, Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar were specifically identified as international-level players, signalling the scheme's reach to elite performers competing on the global stage.
Policy Backdrop
Bihar has a history of incentivising sportspersons through cash awards and job reservations, a tradition carried forward through successive state administrations. The current scheme formalises that link, making government employment a structured reward rather than a discretionary gesture.
Bihar's approach mirrors longstanding programmes in Haryana, Punjab, and Madhya Pradesh, where athletic medals — particularly at national and international competitions — are tied to government recruitment quotas. These states have credited such policies with producing a disproportionately high number of national-level athletes relative to their populations.
Stakeholders and Impact
For the 19 athletes receiving letters on Friday, the appointments represent immediate livelihood security — a significant factor in a state where sports infrastructure and private sponsorship remain limited. The policy is designed to remove the economic disincentive that often pushes talented athletes out of competitive sport.
Broader beneficiaries include Bihar's sporting ecosystem: coaches, academies, and district-level sports bodies stand to gain from an increased pipeline of athletes motivated to pursue high-performance competition in pursuit of both medals and employment. Parents and families in smaller towns and rural districts are also a key audience for the scheme's messaging.
What's Next
Attention will now turn to the next round of appointments under the scheme and to Bihar's performance at upcoming national and international competitions, including potential qualifiers for the 2026 National Games. The state's ability to sustain and scale the scheme will be measured against both the volume of future appointments and the calibre of athletes it continues to attract.
If the scheme succeeds in retaining elite talent within the state system, it could serve as a template for other BIMARU-category states seeking to build competitive sporting cultures through policy-backed employment guarantees.
Point of View
Naukri Pao' event is more than a routine awards ceremony — it is a deliberate signal that Bihar under CM Samrat Chaudhary is investing in sports as a vehicle for social mobility and state prestige. By including high-profile international cricketers alongside other athletes, the government is amplifying the scheme's visibility at a moment when Bihar seeks to shed its image as a state that exports talent rather than nurtures it. The policy mirrors a proven playbook from Haryana and Punjab, suggesting Bihar's leadership is benchmarking against states that have built genuine sporting cultures through employment guarantees. Whether the scheme translates into measurable gains in Bihar's national games tally will be the real test of its long-term political and policy credibility.
NationPress
24 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 'Medal Lao, Naukri Pao' scheme in Bihar?
'Medal Lao, Naukri Pao' is a Bihar government scheme that awards state government employment to athletes who win medals at international-level competitions, converting sporting achievement into guaranteed public-sector jobs.
Who received appointment letters under the scheme on 24 July 2026?
A total of 19 athletes received appointment letters, including international cricketers Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar, at an event held at Urja Auditorium in Patna.
Who presented the appointment letters to the athletes?
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary personally handed the appointment letters to all 19 athletes at the Sports Department event.
Which other states have similar sports-to-employment schemes?
Haryana, Punjab, and Madhya Pradesh have longstanding programmes that tie athletic medals at national and international competitions to government recruitment quotas, and Bihar's scheme follows a similar model.
Where was the 'Medal Lao, Naukri Pao' appointment ceremony held?
The ceremony was held at Urja Auditorium in Patna, organised by the Bihar Sports Department.
