Student protests in Bihar have intensified, with a large number of candidates demanding the cancellation of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exam held on December 13. The protests stem from allegations of a question paper leak during the 70th Integrated Combined Competitive (Preliminary) Examination (CCE), 2024. Despite the growing unrest, the BPSC has firmly rejected calls for cancellation.
On Sunday, police in Patna used water cannons and mild force to disperse the protesting students, which only fueled their anger. In retaliation, students have organized a statewide bandh (shutdown) and road blockade across Bihar for Monday, with several political parties expressing support for the protests.
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First, the Bihar government used water cannons on the youth in the intense cold, and then they used lathi charge mercilessly.
The police spared no one; they just kept raining blows with batons.
Unemployed youth in Bihar have been protesting against the… pic.twitter.com/UUtiD39E3x
— Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (@INCTamilNadu) December 30, 2024
Political Support for the Protest
The Communist Party of India – Marxist-Leninist (CPI-ML) has come out in solidarity with the students. MLA Sandeep Saurabh wrote to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, demanding a re-examination and calling for the entire exam to be cancelled and conducted again due to widespread irregularities. CPI-ML State Secretary Kunal condemned the government’s response to the protests, accusing it of being repressive and dismissive of student concerns. The party has pledged to back the students’ road blockade scheduled for December 30.
What Will Be Affected During the Bandh?
While there has been no official confirmation on what will remain open or closed, it is expected that public transport, including rail and bus services, will be disrupted due to the protests targeting major transportation hubs. However, essential services like hospitals and ambulances will remain functional. The government has not issued any directives regarding the closure of banks or government offices, which are expected to remain open despite the bandh.
The student protests have been ongoing for over a week, fueled by the allegation of a question paper leak during the BPSC exam. The candidates, who were hoping to secure Group A and B posts through the exam, argue that a re-examination for just one centre would undermine the fairness of the process. They are demanding that the entire exam be cancelled to maintain a “level playing field” for all candidates.
The 70th BPSC Exam
The 70th BPSC Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination took place on December 13, with approximately five lakh candidates participating at 925 centres across the state. The BPSC has maintained that it will not follow any “normalisation process” to adjust the results, further intensifying the frustration among the protesting students.
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