Kundan Kumar
"पत्रकारिता सिर्फ खबरें लिखना नहीं —
यह समाज की आवाज़ बनना है।
जीवन परिचय · Biography
Kundan Kumar's journey in journalism is a testament to the power of perseverance and purpose. Born on October 2, 1975, in Patahi Jagannath village, Muzaffarpur, Bihar, he began his professional life as a newspaper hawker — the very person who delivered the news, before he became the one who broke it.
While distributing newspapers, Kundan quietly studied Hindi and English shorthand, ran a typing and shorthand training institute, and prepared himself for the moment he was destined for. In 2005, that moment arrived: he joined Prabhat Khabar as a stringer, and his fearless pen has not rested since.
After stints at Prabhat Khabar and Rashtriye Sahara, he joined Hindustan in 2009 under the editorship of Sanjay Katiyar. Rising steadily — Staff Reporter (2012), Senior Reporter (2015), Chief Reporter (2022) — he was elevated to Special Correspondent in 2026, a recognition of his unmatched command over administrative journalism and ground-level governance reporting in North Bihar.
कुंदन कुमार की पत्रकारिता यात्रा संघर्ष और समर्पण की एक जीवंत कहानी है। अखबार के हॉकर से विशेष संवाददाता तक का सफर उनके अदम्य साहस और लगन का प्रमाण है। वे उत्तर बिहार में प्रशासनिक खबरों और सरकारी नीतियों की जमीनी सच्चाई को उजागर करने वाले पत्रकार के रूप में प्रसिद्ध हैं।
करियर का सफर · The Road Taken
जन-सरोकार की पत्रकारिता · Public Interest Reporting
Relentless on-ground coverage of the Balikagrih shelter home scandal, bringing national attention to the systemic abuse of vulnerable girls in state-run facilities in Muzaffarpur.
Covered the mysterious Acute Encephalitis Syndrome outbreak killing children across North Bihar, giving a human face to the tragedy and pushing for urgent government accountability.
First on the ground when the Maripur flyover collapsed, exposing construction lapses and demanding accountability from authorities responsible for public infrastructure safety.
Covered the devastating boat accident in which 18 lives were lost, including schoolchildren on their way to school. His reporting brought attention to the absence of river safety measures.
Comprehensive investigation and reporting on the high-profile murder of Mayor Sameer Kumar — a case that shook Bihar's political establishment and exposed crime-politics nexus.
Among his earliest major assignments, covering the 2005 Bihar Assembly Elections — a watershed moment in Bihar politics — with insight, accuracy, and ground-level reporting.
प्रकाशित खबरें · Press Clippings
A selection of landmark published stories from Hindustan — each one proof of journalism that speaks truth to power and demands accountability for Bihar's most vulnerable citizens.
Only 18 of 620 AES Victims Received Benefits
Hindustan Exclusive — PM Jan Arogya Yojana audit exposes that only 8% of AES victims in Muzaffarpur received Golden Cards. A landmark accountability investigation.
Lives Could Have Been Saved with UP's 'Dastak' Model
Comparative investigation showing Bihar's highest AES deaths (511 in 2017 alone) could have been prevented if UP's door-to-door Dastak campaign model was adopted in Bihar.
AES Victims Not Even Registered for Housing Scheme
Ground investigation revealing AES-affected families were excluded from PM Awas Yojana. 21 families in Meenapur block had no registration despite full eligibility — a Hindustan Padtaal exclusive.
North Bihar Sent 204 MPs to Parliament — Yet Key Questions Remain Unanswered
Lok Sabha election special — a deep-dive analysis of North Bihar's political contribution from 1952 to 2019, examining why despite placing 25 faces in the Union Cabinet, the region's core issues of unemployment, floods, and migration remain unresolved.
Nitish Kumar's Name Missing from JP Freedom Fighters' Pension List
Exclusive investigation exposing irregularities in the Raj Sainik Board's JP Senani Samman Pension Yojana — jail lists sent to the state contain names of sitting MPs, former Union ministers and MLAs, while key JP movement figures including CM Nitish Kumar are conspicuously absent.
Waris Ali to Be Recognised as Freedom Fighter 159 Years After His Martyrdom
Hindustan Exclusive — a landmark report on the 1857 uprising martyr from Motipur, whose sacrifice was accepted by Muzaffarpur administration 159 years later. New India Foundation's effort brought official recognition, with a proposal sent to the Home Ministry for gazettted shaheed status.
Bihar Ranked Third in Illegal Arms Use — Home Ministry Report
Exclusive report revealing Home Ministry data from 2018–2020: Bihar recorded 8,708 Arms Act cases, ranking third nationally after UP and MP. The report also links illegal weapons to drug and human trafficking networks, triggering mandatory DM-led district monitoring committees across all Bihar districts.
Officers Dodging Testimony Against Elected Representatives in Court
Exclusive investigation — FIRs filed against election code violators during assembly polls were never backed by officer testimony after candidates won. SP submitted a dossier to DM listing nine top cases, involving sitting BJP MP Veena Devi, MLAs and former ministers, where officials have evaded court appearances for up to 16 years.
36 Suspected Terrorists from Bihar Could Strike the Nation
Exclusive security report — intelligence agencies handed ATS a list of 36 suspected Bihar-based terrorists, identified through arrests in Kanpur and along the Nepal border. The report traces their links to the Rafiganj train disaster (2002), Bodh Gaya blasts (2013), Patna blasts (2013), and the Ara courthouse attack (2015), demanding heightened CCTV surveillance and movement monitoring.
समाज सेवा · Voice of the Voiceless
Through investigative coverage of the Balikagrih scandal and abduction cases, Kundan has been a relentless voice for the protection of Bihar's most vulnerable — its children and women. His journalism goes beyond headlines; it demands systemic change.
His fearless coverage of the AES epidemic — which claimed dozens of children's lives in North Bihar — put the healthcare system under public scrutiny and forced government response. He turned a regional tragedy into a national conversation.
With a sharp understanding of government policy and ground-level implementation, Kundan consistently exposes the gap between government schemes and their actual delivery to the poor. He is a watchdog for the common citizen.
From flyover collapses to river tragedies, his coverage ensures that disasters do not disappear from public memory without accountability. He ensures that every life lost becomes a call for systemic reform.
सम्मान · Honours
Received the prestigious Hindustan Award for Outstanding Reporting — three separate times — recognising consistently exceptional journalism that serves the public interest of Bihar.
Elevated to Special Correspondent at Hindustan in 2026 — the highest field designation — a recognition of 20+ years of dedicated, fearless journalism in North Bihar.
Known among colleagues and readers as the journalist who gives voice to those without one — from flood-affected villages to crime victims to ailing children in remote areas of Muzaffarpur.
पारिवारिक पृष्ठभूमि · The Foundation
Behind every great journalist is a story rooted in real life. Kundan Kumar hails from Patahi Jagannath village in Muzaffarpur district — the same land whose stories he has spent two decades telling the world.
His father, a registered rural medical practitioner, served the village with the same dedication that Kundan now brings to his journalism. His mother, Purnima Devi, was the quiet strength behind the family. The fourth of five siblings, Kundan carries the values of a humble, hardworking family into every story he writes.