BPSC students protest: The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) aspirants continued their protest on Sunday at Gandhi Maidan in Patna demanding a re-examination. Despite restrictions and police attempts to disperse them, the aspirants, joined by Jansuraj Party workers, have intensified their agitation. Jansuraj Party chief Prashant Kishor joined the agitating students at the protesting site today.
Protesters break police barricades
The rally was called by Prashant Kishore, who urged students to assemble near Mahatma Gandhi's statue at Gandhi Maidan in Patna for a 'Chatra Sansad' (students' congregation). However, the authorities denied permission for the event. The police asked the students to vacate Gandhi Maidan, but the students started sloganeering. A large group of Jansuraj Party workers reached Gandhi Maidan with posters and banners. The protesters broke through police barricades and moved closer to the Gandhi statue.
The candidates have been protesting for more than a week seeking the cancellation of the 70th Integrated Combined Competitive (Preliminary) Examination (CCE), 2024 conducted by the BPSC over allegations of question paper leak. The protesters have been staging a dharna at Gardani Bagh for several days. They contend that cancellation should be ordered across the board since re-examination for just one centre would go against the principle of a "level playing field".
Prashant Kishore joins students' protest
Earlier on Saturday, Jan Suraaj chief Prashant Kishore went to Gardani Bagh where BPSC aspirants have been staging a dharna for the last several days.
Addressing the protesters, Kishor said, "Before coming here, I had a long discussion with people from the education field. I must say that irregularities and paper leaks have now become the norm as far as BPSC exams are concerned. It can't go on like this. We have to find a solution. That's why we have decided to organise 'Chatra Sansad' near Mahatma Gandhi's statue at Gandhi Maidan in Patna on Sunday to find a solution to this issue."
The Patna district administration has proposed to hold a meeting of the candidates demanding cancellation of the Bihar Public Service Commission examination held on December 13 with the commission officials so that they can put forward their grievances. Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh said on Saturday that the protesters will have to nominate their five representatives for talks, after which the BPSC will take a decision (for the meeting) "within a reasonable time". The district administration has asked the protesting candidates to give a list of their representatives (all examinees) so that we can get them to meet with BPSC officials on this issue. They can apprise the commission officials of their grievances in the meeting. The district administration also assures the protesting candidates that the commission will take an appropriate decision or stand within a reasonable time.
BPSC rules out cancellation of Dec 13 exam
The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) on Friday made it clear that the 70th Integrated Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024 held on December 13 across the state will not be cancelled over allegations of paper leak and irregularities.
Speaking to the media, BPSC Examination Controller Rajesh Kumar Singh said, "There is no question of cancelling the entire BPSC exam held on December 13.
The BPSC decided to cancel the preliminary examination held at Bapu Pariksha Parisar centre only due to disruption created by a group of unruly aspirants as part of the conspiracy to disrupt the exam. The re-examination will be held on January 4 at some other centre in the city."
"We have information that a group of private coaching institutes are instigating aspirants and they are mobilising students to raise the demand for the cancellation of the entire exam. Their demand is baseless," he added.
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