Protesting students in Patna continued their Dharna at Gardanibagh on Sunday, claiming the possibility of a question paper leak during the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) examination.
The protests erupted after the rescheduling of the Bapu exam centre, with candidates expressing doubts over the integrity of the examination process.
The rescheduling of the examination at Bapu exam centre came after a delay in distributing question papers, which led to chaos and the eventual cancellation of the exam at that centre.
Many candidates are now demanding the cancellation of the entire examination across all 911 centres, citing concerns over "fairness and equal opportunity".
While no official confirmation has been provided, several candidates suspect that the question paper may have been leaked.
Allegations are fuelled by claims of viral question papers circulating on social media.
“The video evidence — which the BPSC Chairman also admits — that the mobile phones are being used in the exam premises in the Bapu examination centre of Patna, has raised concerns about the sanctity of the examination process as chances of question paper leak cannot be ruled out,” said Ravi Sharma, one of the agitators in Gardanibagh.
Student leader Dilip Kumar has called for a re-examination to be conducted under stricter and more transparent conditions to restore public trust. He has criticised BPSC Chairman Ravi Manu Bhai Parmar, demanding his resignation due to the failure to ensure a smooth and credible examination process.
“Till Ravi Manu Bhai Parmar is the Chairman, BPSC cannot conduct fair examinations in Bihar. I also suspect the coaching institute operators and exam mafias may be involved in the chaos in Bapu examination centre on December 13,” Kumar said.
In response, BPSC Chairman Ravi Manu Bhai Parmar asserted that no question paper had been leaked in the examination.
He challenged detractors to provide evidence showing that the paper appeared on social media before the exam began at 12:00 noon on December 13.
Parmar emphasised that the EOU monitored the process and found no indications of irregularities related to a paper leak.
The agitations surrounding the BPSC examination have also gained political traction. As 40 per cent of Bihar’s youth are voters of particular political parties, the protests have drawn attention from political leaders.
Former Deputy Chief Minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has supported the students from the outset. Yadav visited the Dharna site on Saturday night and assured the students of his solidarity, stating, “If you take one step, we will take four steps.”
Yadav called on the government to address the demands of the students and ensure that future examinations are conducted fairly. “The government, along with the BPSC, is responsible for repeated paper leaks. During my tenure as Deputy Chief Minister, there were no instances of paper leaks, and five lakh jobs were provided,” Yadav said.
“The Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar, is unaware of the situation in Bihar, and the state is being run by a few individual bureaucrats for their personal benefit,” he added.
Yadav also accused investigation agencies like the CBI of being misused to target the Opposition while covering up the government's failings.
Reacting to Yadav’s comments, Neeraj Kumar, MLC of JD-U, said, “Tejashwi Yadav should give constructive suggestions to the candidates sitting on Dharna. He should not play with the sentiments of students. There were no irregularities in the BPSC examination except one centre in Patna’s Bapu examination centre. BPSC has made a prompt decision and rescheduled the examination for January 4.”
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