Patna, Feb 24 (IANS): The Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government on Tuesday admitted that the level of education in the state is at a low level in nationwide rankings.

As RJD member Samir Kumar Mahaseth raised the issue of falling education levels in the Assembly, Education Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary replied that the state is in the bottom five in the Niti Aayog list and the state government is admitting it.

The minister also listed the steps taken by the state government to enhance the quality of education in the state.

"We have started universities in Patliputra, Purnea, and Munger. We have also opened middle and high schools in 8,385 village panchayats in the state. Besides, we had installed 2,000 and 4,000 laboratories, respectively, in middle and high schools in the last 3 years," he said.

Chaudhary also said that the recruitment of teachers is also underway. "As the matter is pending in the court, hence, it is getting delayed. We are waiting for court orders," he said.

Education, along with the law and order situation in Bihar, is an issue used by opposition parties to target the Nitish Kumar government.

Recently, question papers of social science and Hindi of the Bihar School Examination Board's Class 10 exam were leaked in various places.

Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav claimed that question papers of every competitive examination like the CTET, BTET, and BPSC in Bihar have been leaked.