Massive protests in Patna over proposed changes in BPSC prelims exam
Bihar Public Service Commission aspirants are protesting in Patna against proposed changes in the exam, demanding a 'one shift, one paper' format.
A large group of Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) aspirants are protesting in Patna, demanding the withdrawal of proposed changes to the rules for the 70th BPSC Preliminary Examination. The protesters, who were dispersed by police on Friday evening using lathicharge, are seeking a "one shift, one paper" format for the exam, rather than the proposed normalization process. The exam is scheduled to take place on December 13.
The protestors gathered near the BPSC office on Bailey Road around Friday noon and demanded the withdrawal of the new examination format. Specifically, they sought the examination to be conducted in a “one shift, one paper” format, as opposed to the “normalisation of marks” process, which adjusts scores from multiple exam shifts using a statistical formula.
The students feel that the normalisation process could disadvantage those who take the exam under more challenging conditions.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajeev Mishra said that the protesters attempted to march toward the BPSC office, but were stopped by police and administrative officials. When the protestors refused to leave, sitting on the road and disrupting traffic, a mild lathi-charge was used to clear the area.
“The protestors were blocking a restricted area, and despite repeated requests to vacate, they refused to comply. As a result, mild force was used to disperse them,” SSP Mishra explained.
Eyewitnesses claimed that a few aspirants were injured during the lathi-charge, but Mishra denied these claims, stating, “No protesters sustained any injury. Mild force was applied to those attempting to break the police barricade. We are currently registering an FIR and analyzing CCTV footage for further action.”
Meanwhile, the protest gained further attention when renowned educator and YouTuber, Faizal Khan, popularly known as Khan Sir, joined the protesters at Patna's Gardanibagh area. Khan Sir, a well-known figure among civil services aspirants, expressed strong opposition to the BPSC’s decision to implement the normalisation process.
“We want the president of BPSC to confirm that there will be no normalisation, and that the examination will be held in one shift with one paper for all students,” Khan Sir told reporters at the protest site. He added, “We have no personal issues with anyone. However, the implementation of this process is problematic. The person responsible for it should be accountable. We will not leave until we are assured that normalisation will be removed.”
Khan Sir also emphasized that the protest was not politically motivated. "We have nothing to do with politics. We are here to raise our demands in a constitutional manner. The government must listen to us," he said.
Following his involvement in the protest, Khan was detained by the police, but released late on Friday night.
As the protests continue, the aspirants have also raised concerns about discrepancies in the BPSC exam registration process, with some students alleging that their application forms were not accepted due to server issues. The protesters are now calling for an extension of the exam date and the acceptance of all application forms.
BPSC 70th CCE Exam 2024
The 70th BPSC Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination, scheduled for December 13, will recruit candidates for Group A and B posts. Around five lakh candidates are expected to appear for the exam, which will be conducted across 925 centres.
This protest follows earlier demands by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who called for clarification on the 'normalisation process' and urged the BPSC to revert to the previous exam format.
"The BPSC should conduct exams as they were previously done, without the normalisation process. The Commission should also extend the examination date," Yadav said in a statement.
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