India, Nov. 6 -- As Bihar heads into another election season, political slogans about development and growth will once again echo across its towns and villages. But beneath the rhetoric lies a quieter story told by numbers-one that speaks of progress, paradoxes, and persistent challenges. To grasp Bihar's economic paradox, one number says it all. In 2024-25, Bihar's per capita income is estimated at around Rs69,321 (MOSPI); roughly what India's average income was in 2012-13. Put simply, the average Bihari today is as prosperous as the average Indian was over a decade ago. Bihar, in 2011-12, had a per capita income of Rs28,671. Even though it grew 142 per cent by 2024-25, faster than India at 137 per cent, the low base meant the State is spr...