Students protesting against the 70th Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) examination on Tuesday broke through police barricades as they marched from Gandhi Maidan towards Raj Bhavan in Patna, demanding that the exam be cancelled.
The protesters tried to enter the restricted area despite repeated attempts by police to stop them, news agency ANI reported. Police detained several students during the march as tensions escalated.
Agitating students broke through police barricades as they tried to gherao the Bihar chief minister’s residence, prompting police to use water cannons to disperse them.
Deep Dive
What are the main demands of the students protesting against the 70th BPSC examination?
Why did police use water cannons during the student protests in Patna?
How is the Bihar government addressing student grievances amid the protests?
Police warned the protesters that they would not be allowed to move ahead. DSP Kamakhya Narayan Singh said discussions with senior officials had been positive and hoped the students would call off their march.
{{/usCountry}}Police warned the protesters that they would not be allowed to move ahead. DSP Kamakhya Narayan Singh said discussions with senior officials had been positive and hoped the students would call off their march.
{{/usCountry}}Also Read: ‘Kutte bhonke hazaar’: BPSC official's remark sparks backlash amid student protests in Bihar
Why are students protesting?
The protesters are demanding the cancellation of the 70th BPSC examination, alleging irregularities and paper leaks. They are also seeking changes to the proposed Teacher Recruitment Examination (TRE) 4.0, including a single-stage exam and the removal of negative marking.
Congress leader Sushil Kumar, who was at the protest site, said students were also raising issues related to BPSC, Bihar Staff Selection Commission (BSSC) and Sub-Inspector recruitment.
“We want to state clearly that a single-stage examination must be implemented for TRE 4.0 at all costs, and negative marking should be abolished,” Kumar told ANI. He also urged Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to meet a delegation of protesters, saying students had been on hunger strike for nine days.
The protesters are also opposing the proposal to conduct TRE-4 in two phases across Bihar and are demanding the release of the official recruitment notification.
Vikas Bhatt, a protester, said the students were demanding improvements in Bihar’s education and recruitment systems and action against repeated exam paper leaks.
“Our demand is that the education system in Bihar be improved. We are raising issues regarding the frequent exam paper leaks in the state. Look at the recruitment of librarians; it has not taken place for 18 years,” Bhatt said.
He also criticised the delay in recruitment exams conducted by the Bihar Staff Selection Commission (BSSC), saying three recruitment drives had been announced but exams were still pending after three years.
“We have repeatedly protested outside the BSSC office, demanding that the exam dates be announced. But every time, they ask us to wait for another 15 days,” he said, questioning the lack of a regular exam calendar for recruitment commissions in Bihar.
Oppn writes to CM
Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav wrote to Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, urging the government to hold talks with the protesters and address their demands.
Yadav called for TRE-4 to be conducted as a single examination and sought an end to what he described as discrimination against Hindi-speaking candidates in the BPSC Civil Services Main Examination and interview.
He also called for greater transparency in competitive exams, including BPSC, BSSC, Sub-Inspector and Constable recruitment, along with an independent probe into alleged irregularities in past examinations and strict action against recruitment mafias.
CM announced student support camps
Amid ongoing student protests, the Bihar government on Tuesday announced the launch of monthly ‘Vidyarthi Sahyog Shivir’ (student support camps) to address students’ grievances, news agency PTI reported.
“The Bihar government is launching Vidyarthi Sahyog Shivir starting today to ensure prompt resolution of students' grievances. These camps will be organised at educational institutions on the fourth Tuesday of every month,” Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said in a social media post.
The camps will allow students to raise their grievances directly with the concerned government officials, he said.
Students will also be able to file complaints online and track their status through a dedicated portal and Helpline 1100, Choudhary added.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)