Students, cops face off in Patna during march to Raj Bhavan over Bihar civil services exam

BPSC aspirants protesting against the 70th Bihar Public Service Commission examination broke through police barricades on Tuesday as they marched from Gandhi Maidan towards Raj Bhavan in Patna, demanding cancellation of the exam.

Police stopped the protesters from entering a restricted area and warned them against moving ahead. DSP Kamakhya Narayan Singh said discussions with senior officials had been positive and expressed hope that the protesters would call off the march.

Why are students protesting?

The protesters are demanding cancellation of the 70th BPSC examination, alleging irregularities and a paper leak. They are also seeking changes to the proposed Teacher Recruitment Examination (TRE) 4.0, including a single-stage examination and removal of negative marking.

Congress leader Sushil Kumar, who was present at the protest, said students were also raising concerns related to BPSC, Bihar Staff Selection Commission and Sub-Inspector recruitment.

He demanded that TRE 4.0 be conducted in a single stage and that negative marking be scrapped. Kumar also urged Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to meet a delegation of protesters, claiming that students had been on hunger strike for nine days.

The protesters are opposing the proposed two-phase format for TRE 4.0 and demanding the release of the official recruitment notification.

Tejashwi Yadav seeks talks

Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav wrote to Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, urging the government to engage with the protesting students and address their demands.

Yadav called for TRE 4.0 to be conducted as a single examination and sought an end to what he described as discrimination against Hindi-speaking candidates in the BPSC Civil Services Main Examination and interview.

He also demanded greater transparency in competitive examinations and an independent investigation into alleged irregularities in previous recruitment exams, along with strict action against recruitment mafias.

Bihar govt launches student support camps

Amid the protests, the Bihar government announced the launch of monthly ‘Vidyarthi Sahyog Shivir’ to address student grievances.

Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said the camps would be organised at educational institutions on the fourth Tuesday of every month, allowing students to raise their concerns directly with government officials.

Students will also be able to submit complaints online and track their status through a dedicated portal and helpline 1100, Choudhary said.