Patna Students Protest Police Actions Over Bihar Public Service Commission Exam Irregularities

In Patna, police used force on student protesters who attempted to occupy the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) offices. A video from ANI showed a large group of young men and women chanting slogans and holding placards as they moved through streets and traffic junctions. The police eventually regrouped in larger numbers to control the situation, which took several hours.

The protests were sparked by issues surrounding the Integrated 70th Combined Competitive Examination (Prelims). This exam was initially held on a Friday but was later cancelled due to allegations of mismanagement and irregularities. The BPSC Chairperson, Parmar Ravi Manubhai, announced that the exam conducted at Bapu Pariksha Parisar was cancelled, with a new date set for January 4.

Protesters Demand Justice

A BPSC aspirant expressed frustration over the police's actions during the protest. "We just wanted to peacefully put forth our demands... but the police started the lathi-charge," he told ANI. The students had been protesting for eight days, seeking justice for what they perceived as unfair treatment in the examination process.

CCTV footage from the exam centre revealed chaos as candidates tore question papers and snatched them from others. In one clip, a group rushed into a room where officials were addressing grievances over a delay in paper distribution. Despite assurances of compensating lost time, the situation escalated uncontrollably.

Political Reactions

The incident drew criticism from opposition parties in Bihar. Lok Sabha MP Pappu Yadav questioned why students were treated harshly by the ruling JDU-BJP alliance. "Why are they treated like terrorists? Such attacks with sticks on those who demand justice for themselves! This is intolerable... we will sit on dharna tonight with the resolve to completely destroy such a government!" he declared.

BPSC officials explained that despite problems at Patna's Bapu Pariksha Bhavan, over 900 centres across Bihar conducted exams without issues on December 13. They rescheduled quickly to accommodate affected students who would need to prepare again and travel to exam centres.

A police complaint filed by exam authorities detailed how candidates became agitated upon discovering some sealed question paper boxes were opened. Rumours spread about exam cancellation, leading more people to gather at the venue. Eventually, 5,674 candidates completed their exams under controlled conditions.