Jan Suraaj Party leader Prashant Kishor announced on Thursday that he would begin a fast unto death in Patna, demanding the cancellation of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exam. His protest, staged under the Gandhi statue in Gandhi Maidan, aims to address what he describes as the “ruined education and corrupt examination system” in Bihar.
ध्वस्त शिक्षा और भ्रष्ट परीक्षा व्यवस्था के खिलाफ गांधी मैदान में गांधी मूर्ति के नीचे आमरण अनशन पर बैठे प्रशांत किशोर। pic.twitter.com/gbEehGZ7bJ
— Jan Suraaj (@jansuraajonline) January 2, 2025
Kishor, who has previously claimed to possess knowledge of “thousands of crores of rupees changing hands” for positions to be filled through the BPSC exam, voiced his concerns over the corruption tied to the process. His call for a fresh exam is supported by numerous candidates who have been protesting for weeks, claiming that the integrity of the exam has been compromised.
The former close associate of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed frustration over the CM’s silence on the ongoing protest. Kishor criticized the Chief Minister for remaining silent, especially when asked about the issue by reporters in Delhi. While the candidates endured harsh weather, police baton charges, and water cannons, Kishor pointed out that the CM appeared to be unconcerned, enjoying his time away in Delhi.
“The candidates have been braving extreme conditions, yet the Chief Minister, who is currently in Delhi, has said nothing about their plight,” Kishor said. He further added that many protesting candidates believe the reluctance of the BPSC to cancel the exam stems from large sums of money changing hands in exchange for filling the posts via the December 13 test, which has been marred by allegations of a question paper leak.
The BPSC Exam Controversy
The BPSC exam issue began after nearly five lakh candidates sat for the Combined Competitive Exams across over 900 centres in the state. At one centre in Patna, several candidates boycotted the test, alleging that the question papers had been leaked. The BPSC denied these claims, suggesting a conspiracy to get the exam cancelled. However, the commission did order a re-examination for over 10,000 candidates assigned to the controversial Bapu Pariksha Parisar exam centre.
Protesters have argued that allowing re-examination for a small group of candidates undermines the concept of fairness and a level playing field. They are demanding that the entire exam be cancelled and held again.
Prashant Kishor, while pointing out the alleged corruption in the BPSC system, refrained from making further scandalous accusations. He emphasized his hope for a resolution following positive engagement between Chief Secretary Amrit Lal Meena and a delegation of protesting candidates. Kishor expressed his desire for a fair and transparent outcome to the crisis.
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