Thousands of candidates for the BPSC examination assembled at Gandhi Maidan in Patna on Sunday to protest so-called irregularities regarding the 70th Combined Competitive Examination of December 13.
The protesters are demanding the cancellation and re-examination of the BPSC preliminary examination due to allegations of paper leakage and administrative negligence.
Clash with Law Enforcement
Despite Patna District Magistrate Chandrasekhar Singh’s previous warning against holding a “Chatra Sansad” (students’ meeting) organized by Jan Suraj chief Prashant Kishore, the protesters took position in the historic Gandhi Maidan.
Agitation erupted when participants attempted to march toward Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s residence, resulting in clashes with police. Police responded with lathi charges and water cannons to disperse the crowd, resulting in minor injuries to the police and protesters.
Prashant Kishore
Political strategist and founder of Jan Suraj Prashant Kishore joined the protesters and voiced solidarity with their demands. He accused the Bihar government of mocking democracy and administering it as “lathi tantra” (rule of punishment).
Kishore urged the students to have the constitutional right to protest peacefully and questioned why the administration would not allow protests at places like Gandhi Maidan.
Demands and Government Action
The protesters demand that the 70th BPSC prelims be re-conducted, alleging that the institution’s integrity is tarnished in the examination process.
The Bihari government has argued that the examination took place somewhat and recommended that all aspirants await the result to conclude.
The authorities also asked private coaching institutes’ coaches not to support or promote any unauthorized protests, mentioning that non-compliance would lead to strict legal action against them.
Future Course of Action
After the day, Kishore announced that a five-member student delegation would meet with the Chief Secretary to lodge their grievances. He noted that protests will resume the next day if the meeting does not yield any satisfactory outcome.
In the meantime, the All India Students’ Association (AISA) announced a ‘chakka jam’ (road blockade) for Monday, protesting against the police unleashing violence on students.
Public Reaction and Social Media
The incident gained traction on social media, with viral videos of clashes. While some openly support the students in demanding transparency and fairness in the examination process, the other camp is complaining that protests cause too much disturbance to the fairest examinations.
The hashtag #BPSCExamProtest has been trending, indicating high interest in the issue.
The confrontation between BPSC aspirants and police in Patna reflects the fuming unrest that is bubbling among students regarding the functioning of examinations at the state level.
This is another of the many rage points for students in the Bihar examination system. The response of Bihar’s state government will be instrumental in resolving the current discord, and its willingness to communicate the protesters’ grievances will strengthen its future dialogue.
Stakeholders and observers have called for dialogue and transparency to regain trust in the exam system and fair treatment to all aspirants.
