Patna is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world. The modern city of Patna lies on the southern bank of the Ganges. A bustling city of 1,800,000 people, the city is approximately 25 km long and 10 km wide. The city, being the administrative centre of the state has retained its historic importance, It has also remained an important educational centre. over the centuries.

Patna is important seat of business in the eastern part of India, major trading centre of cotton, tusser, readymade garments. Now it is emerging as a big centre of higher education as govt. has started Chankya Law University(functioning at the prestigious A.N.Sinha Institute of Social Sciences), BIT Mesra Extension Centre etc. There are several prestigious educational institutions in Patna like Patna College, Patna Women's College, Patna Science College, Bihar National College, Anugrah Narayan College, Bihar College of Engineering, now National Institute of Technology, Patna, Patna Medical College (formerly, Prince of Wales Medical College), Nalanda Medical College, Patna Dental College, Bihar Veterinary College and the Lalit Narayan Mishra Institute. The establishment of New Indian Institute of Technology, at Bihta, near Patna, Nalanda International University, Indian Institute of Management(IIM), Indian Institute Fashion technology(IIFT), Extension center of IGIMS is going to pave the path for reviving past glory of educational hub of the country.

 Patna, as most of Bihar, has a subtropical climate with hot summers from late March to early June, the monsoon season from late June to early August and a mild winter from November to February.