Massive student protest erupts in Bihar over examination irregularities
Police use force as protesters march towards state assembly, CM’s residence
Patna: Students staged a strong protest in Patna, the capital of the BJP-ruled Indian state of Bihar, against irregularities in various competitive examinations, raising questions over the fairness and conduct of the examination process.
Thousands of students took to the streets, Indian media reports said. The protesters marched from Gandhi Maidan towards the Chief Minister’s residence, seeking to surround it, but were stopped by police at JP Golambar. However, the large number of protesters enabled some of them to break through the iron barricades erected by police and climb over them. Some protesters also attempted to block railway tracks, while others marched towards the state assembly and the Chief Minister’s residence. Police used force against the protesters, including baton charging.
“Several protesters were detained from different places after they entered prohibited areas,” Patna SSP Kartikeya K Sharma told reporters.
The protesters demanded cancellation of the 70th BPSC Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) examination and the recruitment examination for 1,799 sub-inspector posts conducted by the Bihar Police Subordinate Services Commission (BPSSC).
“These exams were marred by several inconsistencies. We also seek an end to the contract system in BPSC examinations, particularly the 25 per cent weightage rule, and want regular examinations to be conducted,” they said.
The students demanded transparency in the recruitment process and a high-level investigation into the irregularities.
The Congress also reacted to the students’ protest. In a post on X, it said that raising one’s voice against injustice is the right of students and cannot be suppressed at any cost. It said the BJP should engage with the students instead of using batons against them and should order an investigation into the matter.
