The demand for Special Category Status (SCS) for Bihar has been made by various political parties of the State time and again.
The poverty and backwardness of the State are argued to be because of the lack of natural resources, continuous supply of water for irrigation, regular floods in the northern region and severe droughts in the southern part of the State.
Simultaneously, the bifurcation of the State led to the shifting of industries to Jharkhand and created a dearth of employment and investment opportunities.
With a per-capita GDP of around ₹54,000, Bihar has consistently been one of the poorest States.
The State is home to around 94 lakh poor families and the granting of SCS will help the government get about ₹2.5 lakh crore required to fund various welfare measures over the next five years.