The protesting students began their march from Gandhi Maidan (Img: X)
New Delhi: A protest by students demanding the cancellation of the 70th Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) examination turned tense in Patna on Tuesday after demonstrators broke police barricades during a march towards Raj Bhavan.
The protesting students began their march from Gandhi Maidan, raising slogans against alleged irregularities in the recruitment examination process. As they attempted to move towards the restricted area, police personnel stopped them with barricades. The situation escalated when some protesters broke through the barricades, leading to a confrontation with security forces.
Police officials said efforts were made to control the situation and maintain law and order. Authorities also held discussions with student representatives, hoping to resolve the issue through dialogue.
The protesters have been demanding the cancellation of the 70th BPSC examination, alleging irregularities and seeking a transparent inquiry into the recruitment process.
Apart from BPSC, students are also raising concerns related to other government recruitment examinations, including the Teacher Recruitment Examination (TRE) 4.0, Bihar Staff Selection Commission (BSSC) and Sub-Inspector recruitment exams.
Students are demanding that TRE 4.0 should be conducted as a single-stage examination and that the system of negative marking should be removed.
Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav has urged the state government to engage with protesting students and address their concerns. He has demanded transparency in competitive examinations and an independent investigation into alleged irregularities.
Yadav also called for a fixed schedule for pending recruitment examinations to provide clarity to job aspirants.
Amid the ongoing protests, the Bihar government announced a ‘Student Support Camp’ initiative to address student grievances. The camps will be organised regularly at educational institutions, allowing students to directly submit their complaints.
The government has also launched an online grievance portal and helpline number 1100 for students to track their complaints and seek resolutions.
