Patna:

Police in Patna lathi-charged a group of student protestors late Wednesday evening as they tried to occupy the offices of the Bihar Public Service Commission.

A six-minute video shared by news agency ANI showed hundreds of young men and women, many chanting slogans and holding placards, flood streets and traffic junctions, and push past helpless cops.

The police, however regrouped and came back in large numbers of their own. In the video shared by ANI the police finally manage to contain the protesters, an operation that took hours.

#WATCH | Patna | Aspirants hold protest against the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) demanding re-exam of 70th BPSC Examination. pic.twitter.com/AqZuapo38g

— ANI (@ANI) December 25, 2024

Leading up to that containment, however, was a lathi-charge by the cops as the writhing, stormy sea of protestors neared the BPSC office. The visuals soon turned disturbing, with some showing the cops chasing and beating students, many of whom were injured into submission.

One BPSC aspirant, in a grey sweater, told ANI, “We just wanted to peacefully put forth our demands (to the government body) … but the police started the lathi-charge…”

#WATCH | Patna, Bihar | An aspirant says, “We just wanted to peacefully put our demands (in front of BPSC), but the police started lathi-charge on us. We have been protesting for the last 8 days…” https://t.co/IOJIChxGyU pic.twitter.com/ICZdg3timw

— ANI (@ANI) December 25, 2024

“We have been protesting for the past eight days,” he said.

The protests are over the Integrated 70th Combined Competitive Examination (Prelims), which were held on Friday and then cancelled after allegations of mismanagement and irregularities.

READ | BPSC Exam Conducted At Patna Centre Cancelled Amid Reports Of Irregularities

“The BPSC has decided to cancel the exam conducted at Bapu Pariksha Parisar… it will soon release the (new) exam schedule…” Parmar Ravi Manubhai, the Chairperson, said Monday.

The revised date was later announced as January 4. BPSC officials said the exam had been re-scheduled as quickly as possible in the interests of affected students, many of whom would have had to spend time and money re-preparing for and travelling to the exam centres.

The BPSC also noted the examination had been held, on December 13, with no concerns at over 900 centres across the state. Only Patna’s Bapu Pariksha Bhavan reported a problem.

READ | On CCTV, Chaos In Bihar Exam, Candidates Run With, Tear Papers

CCTV footage from the exam centre showed a crowd tearing question papers in the storage area and snatching them from candidates. In one clip, a group is seen rushing into a room where exam officials were addressing grievances over a 45 minute delay in distributing papers.

Despite assurances the lost time would be compensated, the situation spun out of control.

According to a police complaint filed by exam authorities, candidates became agitated upon realising some sealed question paper boxes were already opened. The complaint further alleged some spread rumours the exam was cancelled, prompting others to gather at the venue.

Eventually, 5,674 candidates completed the exam in a controlled environment.

Today’s protest also drew sharp barbs from opposition parties and leaders in the state. Lok Sabha MP Pappu Yadav demanded to know why the ruling JDU-BJP alliance ‘hated’ students.

“Why are they treated like terrorists? Such attacks with sticks on those who demand justice for themselves! This is intolerable… we will sit on dharna tonight with the resolve to completely destroy such a government!” he declared.

With input from agencies

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Patna/New Delhi:

CCTV footage of the chaos that unfolded at an exam centre of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) on Friday shows a large group of people tearing question papers in the storage area and snatching them from candidates who were taking the test.

One of the CCTV clips shows some candidates rushing into a room where the exam officials were talking to some candidates, who were upset over a 40 to 45-minute delay.

A police complaint filed by the authorities says the exam officials told the candidates they would get the extra time that they lost due to the delay.

The crowd along with more candidates who rushed into the room, however, pushed aside the officials and raided the boxes that contained the question papers.

Some of them tore the question papers, while others ran out carrying them. Outside, they distributed the question papers to people who had gathered there due to the commotion, CCTV footage shows.

“After opening the sealed box of the question paper in a proper manner, the sealed packet of question paper and OMR sheet were made available in different rooms of each block. When there was a delay of 40-45 minutes in distribution of the question papers, some candidates started creating ruckus despite the superintendent and invigilators explaining that extra time would be given for the delay,” the exam authorities said in the police complaint.

“The candidates demanded to know why the sealed box was not opened in their room. On hearing noise, some students from other rooms also came and started snatching and tearing the booklets and attendance sheets,” the authorities said in the complaint, adding the candidates spread rumours that the exam has been cancelled.

This prompted many candidates to gather outside the examination centre to see what was going on.

“One of those candidates looted a packet of question papers from the (storage) trunk, broke the gate and went out with a group waving it in his hand. The candidates went to many rooms and damaged attendance sheets and other forms,” the police complaint said.

The authorities said the magistrate and the police present at the exam venue controlled the situation and the rest of the exam was completed.

A total of 5,674 candidates completed the examination under a controlled environment.

Officials said the sheer number of the candidates made it difficult for them to start the exam on time. They said all the five floors of the exam centre were filled with candidates.

What aggravated the situation was some candidates objecting to the sealed box not being opened in their own room. and the distribution of question papers was disrupted.

Patna:

Patna Police on Friday lathi charged hundreds of aspiring Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) candidates protesting outside the commission’s office at Bailey Road.

The candidates were protesting against reports of potential normalisation in the 70th Combined Preliminary Examination scheduled in Bihar on December 13.

However, Secretary of the BPSC, clarified that the commission has not announced any plan for normalisation.

While the commission has dismissed rumours about normalisation, the candidates are seeking official assurance to avoid any last-minute surprises that could affect their prospects.

Supported by student leaders, the candidates demanded that the exam be conducted without normalisation, as has traditionally been the case.

Protesters argued that normalisation is unnecessary, especially when the exam is being conducted in one shift across all centres.

The demand is for the exam process to remain as it has been in the past, ensuring uniformity and fairness without additional calculations.

Since a single set of questions is being used, candidates believe normalisation – a method often applied to adjust for variations in difficulty across multiple shifts – is irrelevant.

Meanwhile, Satya Prakash Sharma, Secretary of BPSC, clarified that the commission has not announced any plan for normalisation.

“If normalisation were to be applied, the commission would have mentioned it explicitly in the notification or issued a separate notice,” Sharma said.

He dismissed the protests as baseless, stating: “Why should the commission clarify regarding the misleading talks about normalisation? Those protesting are not serious candidates but individuals who do not focus on their studies.”

He emphasised that only one per cent of candidates typically pass, and those genuinely preparing for the exam are not involved in such demonstrations.

The preliminary examination for the 70th combined BPSC examination is scheduled on December 13, 2024, in a single shift across 925 centres across Bihar and around 4.80 lakh candidates are appearing in the examination.

The admit card was released on the commission’s website on Friday.

The protests highlight a broader concern among candidates about transparency and fairness in recruitment processes.

This growing unrest underscores the importance of clear communication between examining bodies and aspirants to ensure trust in competitive examination systems.

Earlier, RJD leader and Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, extended his support to the protesting candidates, further amplifying their demands for clarity and fairness in the examination process.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)