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          .Patna, March 22 (IANS) President Pratibha Patil inaugurated the   year-long celebrations to mark the centenary of Bihar legislative council   Tuesday on the occasion of 'Bihar Divas', commemorating the carving of the   separate Bihar province by the British rulers from the Bengal Presidency March   22, 1912.
 
 |  In her address, the president said Bihar had made remarkable progress in several   sectors including education, health and infrastructure in the last few   years.
 "People of Bihar should rise above caste and religion for its   development," she said.
 
 She also lauded the state government for its   initiatives to empower women.
 
 "Bihar was first state in the country to   give 50 percent reservation to women in panchayats. It was a big step to empower   women," she said.
 
 Pratibha Patil also praised the state government for   reservation to women in recruitment of school teachers.
 
 She also released   seven books highlighting the history of the council.
 
 The president later   felicitated five eldest legislators of the council - P.N. Sharma, Ram Narendra   Singh, Indra Kumar, Ramesh Prasad Singh and Shiv Nandan Singh.
 
 Chief   Minister Nitish Kumar also attended the function.
 
 
 
 
      
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