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Nitish Kumar (Politician) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 12, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth1 March 1951

Age74 Years

BirthplaceBakhtiarpur, Bihar, India

ProfessionPolitician, Social Worker, Agriculturist, Engineer

NationalityIndian

Marital statusWidower

SpouseLate Manju Kumari Sinha

FamilySon - Nishant Kumar; Father - Kaviraj Ram Lakhan Singh; Mother - Parmeshwari Devi; Siblings - Satish Kumar, Usha Devi, Indu Devi, Prabha Devi

Nitish Kumar (Politician) Biography

Nitish Kumar is an Indian politician from Bakhtiarpur, Bihar, who has served multiple terms as Chief Minister of Bihar and held several important Union and

Early life and background

Nitish Kumar was born on 1 March 1951 in Bakhtiarpur, Bihar. He grew up in a family with political connections: his father, Kaviraj Ram Lakhan Singh, was a freedom fighter and active in public life, and his mother, Parmeshwari Devi, was a homemaker. Kumar completed his schooling at Shree Ganesh High School in Bakhtiarpur and attended Patna Science College before earning a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Bihar College of Engineering in 1972. He initially worked briefly with the Bihar State Electricity Board before moving into full-time politics.

Career

Kumar’s political activism began in the early 1970s. He joined Ram Manohar Lohia’s youth wing in 1971 and became part of the JP movement in 1974, during which he was detained under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act and again during the Emergency in 1975. These experiences shaped his early political outlook and connections with leaders such as Jayaprakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia, Karpoori Thakur and V.P. Singh.

He entered electoral politics as an independent, winning a seat in the Bihar Legislative Assembly in 1985. Over the following decades Kumar moved through several organizational roles and party realignments: he served as state president of Lok Dal in 1987, was appointed secretary-general of Janata Dal in Bihar, and won his first Lok Sabha seat in 1989. In the 1990s Kumar worked at the national level as Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Cooperation and later held full cabinet portfolios including Surface Transport, Agriculture and Railways.

In 1994 Kumar and George Fernandes left the Janata Dal to start the Samata Party; later, with changing political dynamics in Bihar, he was instrumental in the formation and consolidation of Janata Dal (United). His period as Railway Minister, particularly around the turn of the millennium, brought attention for operational changes such as introducing internet ticket booking and launching the Tatkal scheme. He also resigned in the wake of the 1999 Gaisal train disaster, taking responsibility for the incident.

Kumar first became Chief Minister of Bihar in March 2000 with support from the central government; that first stint lasted a short time as he could not prove a majority. He returned to the post multiple times across the 2000s and 2010s and has alternated between alliances with different national parties. Notable moments in his state career include a period of multiple successive terms after 2005, leading coalition arrangements that were sometimes called the Mahagathbandhan, and repeated reconfigurations of alliances with the BJP and regional partners. By 2024 he had taken oath as Chief Minister of Bihar nine times.

Throughout his career Kumar has also represented India on international visits as part of parliamentary delegations and attended conferences and meetings tied to his ministerial responsibilities, including travel related to railway and agriculture portfolios.

Public profile

Kumar is commonly known by nicknames such as Munna and Sushasan Babu. He is identified with several public roles beyond electoral politics: politician, social worker, agriculturist and engineer. He is described as vegetarian, enjoys reading and watching films, and is noted to have a modest car choice listed as a Tata Tiago. Physically, sources describe him as about 5'8" tall with black eyes and grey hair.

He has received a number of awards and recognitions over the years, including national and state-level honours and several media and institutional accolades. These include awards such as the JP Memorial Award and multiple distinctions naming him among notable political figures and public servants.

Personal life

Kumar married Manju Kumari Sinha in 1973; she was a teacher and died in 2007. The couple had one son, Nishant Kumar, who is described as choosing a private, spiritual path rather than an active political life. Kumar’s family background includes siblings and an extended rural home address in Hakikatpur, Bakhtiarpur, Patna district.

Latest updates

Kumar’s long career has involved frequent political realignments and electoral contests. He has faced controversies at various times related to alliance decisions, remarks in public forums, and allegations reported in media accounts. He has also overseen law-and-order and administrative measures in Bihar, including steps aimed at addressing organized crime and left-wing extremism and creating fast-track mechanisms for certain prosecutions.

As of the dates recorded in the available material, he continues to be an active political figure in Bihar and nationally, with a record of returning repeatedly to the chief ministership and retaining a prominent public profile.
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Recent Work

Took oath as Chief Minister of Bihar (ninth time)

Assumed office as Chief Minister of Bihar on 28 January 2024.

2024
Took oath as Chief Minister of Bihar (eighth time)

Assumed office as Chief Minister of Bihar on 10 August 2022.

2022
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Career Highlights

  1. Became member of Ram Manohar Lohia's youth wing in 1971 and joined the JP movement in 1974
  2. Served as Union Minister in multiple portfolios including Railways, Surface Transport and Agriculture
  3. First sworn in as Chief Minister of Bihar in 2000 and has held the office multiple times, taking oath nine times by 2024
  4. Introduced reforms in Indian Railways such as internet ticketing and the Tatkal scheme
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Nitish Kumar (Politician) born?

1 March 1951

What is Nitish Kumar (Politician) known for?

Politician, Social Worker, Agriculturist, Engineer

What is Nitish Kumar (Politician)’s marital status?

Widower

Who is Nitish Kumar (Politician) married to?

Late Manju Kumari Sinha