BPSC exam stalemate continues as students reject offer for talks, demand audience with CM

NEW DELHI: The row over the alleged Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) question paper leak seemed to be heading for an impasse with protesting students on Saturday rejecting the Patna district administration's offer for talks with authorities in the commission and insisting on an appointment with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

In hardening of stance, Patna District Magistrate (DM) Chandrasekhar Singh also said he would not allow the 'Chatra Sansad' (students' congregation), called by Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Sunday and warned of action against coaching institute owners who were found to be involved, in any manner, in the protests henceforth. Kishor on Saturday went to Gardani Bagh where BPSC aspirants have been staging a dharna for the last several days.

Addressing the protesters, Kishor said, "Before coming here, I had a long discussion with people from the education field. I must say that irregularities and paper leaks have now become the norm as far as BPSC exams are concerned. It can't go on like this... We have to find a solution. That's why we have decided to organise 'Chatra Sansad' near Mahatma Gandhi's statue at Gandhi Maidan in Patna tomorrow to find a solution to this issue."

Demand for exam cancellation

Speaking to PTI, Patna DM Singh said, "The district administration will not allow students to congregate near the Mahatma Gandhi statue at Gandhi Maidan... it's a restricted area. Other events are also going on there. Adequate security personnel have been deployed in and around Gandhi Maidan. Strict action will be taken against those who try to take law into their hands tomorrow." Regarding the district administration's offer to protesting students, the DM said, "The protesting aspirants have so far not made their stand clear. Earlier in the day, we gave them an offer for facilitating their meeting with the BPSC authorities so that they could put forth their grievances.

They want to meet the CM in this regard... that can't happen as BPSC is an independent body and the government has no role to play in this." The candidates have been protesting for more than a week seeking the cancellation of the 70th Integrated Combined Competitive (Preliminary) Examination (CCE), 2024 conducted by the BPSC over allegations of question paper leak. The protesters have been staging a dharna at Gardani Bagh for several days. They contend that cancellation should be ordered across the board since re-examination for just one centre would go against the principle of "level playing field".

Further, the DM said that the district administration is also keeping a watch on the activities of the coaching institute owners and their students. "We are keeping a close watch on their activities. If they are found indulging in activities of instigating protesting aspirants, strict action will be initiated against them," he said. The CPI (M-L) Liberation, an alliance partner of INDIA bloc, has also decided to support the 'Chakka Jam' (road blockade) call given by certain students' wings in Bihar on December 30.

BPSC on exam cancellation

Patna Police on Saturday questioned YouTube influencer Motiur Rahman Khan, known as Guru Rahman, on the charges of instigating the protesting aspirants and delivering provocative speeches while addressing students at Gardani Bagh. After his questioning, Rahman told reporters, "I categorically told officials that I am not saying that paper was leaked, I simply told them that I am against the use of the 'normalisation of marks' process, which adjusts scores for exams held in multiple shifts to ensure fairness. I have been asked by the police not to participate in any dharna or protests of the BPSC aspirants. I have been called for another round of questioning on January 3."

Meanwhile, the BPSC, in a statement issued on Saturday, said, "The decision to cancel exam of any centre is taken by the commission on the basis of a report submitted by the concerned district administration. The examination was held in 912 centres across the state, and of those, free and fair exams were held in 911 centres. The commission cancelled its CCE's preliminary examination held at Bapu Pariksha Parisar in Patna's Kumhrar locality, due to ruckus created by unruly candidates on December 13."

Commenting on the ongoing protest of BPSC aspirants, Bihar BJP chief, Dilip Jaiswal, on Saturday told reporters, "The state government is very sensitive towards the students... but they must come out with concrete evidence suggesting that the December 13 paper was leaked. The opposition parties are simply trying to politicise the issue… and they are instigating the students as well."