'Why Bihar?': BPSC TRE 4.0 aspirants protest for 1.2 lakh teacher vacancies amid PM’s youth loan scheme launch

Hundreds of aspirants staged a protest today in Patna demanding the release of the Bihar TRE 4.0 notification, with heavy police deployment in the area. The protest comes on the same day Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Rs 62,000 crore youth schemes, including Rs 1,000 monthly allowance for 5 lakh graduates.

Tensions flared as police arrested student leader Dileep Kumar on Friday night in Laheriasarai, Darbhanga ahead of a major demonstration in Patna on October 4 demanding 1.2 lakh teacher vacancies.

The viral video of the arrest circulated on social media triggered a wave of reactions from supporters who called it an “undemocratic suppression of youth voices” against the alleged irregularities and corruption.

Why are BPSC aspirants protesting?

The Bihar education department had announced that over 1.20 lakh teacher vacancies are expected to be advertised through the BPSC TRE 4.0 recruitment process. Notably, in TRE-1 and TRE-2, 1.70 lakh and 70,000 teachers were appointed, while in TRE-3, against 87,774 vacancies, 66,603 posts could be filled.

Notably, the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police has found that the BPSC TRE 3.0 paper was leaked before it went to the printing press; there was no barcode in the question paper retrieved during the raid in Hazaribagh.

Despite EOU nabbing the mastermind, seizing question papers, computers, laptops, and more from their possession, the BPSC said it will take decision only after it gets ‘concrete evidence’ and claimed that there was no proof of paper leak before the exam commenced. Over 270 aspirants were detained on the day of exam.

Protesters argued that the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) recently announced only 26,000 vacancies, even after the education minister promised 1.2 lakh vacancies.

A large protest was planned for Saturday in Patna to press for the release of the notification.

Also read 'Misleading Claims Alert': BPSC issues advisory on false social media posts on exam questions

BPSC aspirants take a dig at BJP amid PM’s Bihar push

The BPSC aspirants’ protest comes on the same day Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a Rs 62,000 crore youth development package, including the PM-SETU scheme to upgrade 1,000 ITIs.

Addressing the event, PM Modi said: “This generation may not realise how devastated the education system in Bihar was two and a half decades ago. Schools were not open honestly, nor were recruitments conducted. Which parent doesn't want their child to study and progress here? But out of compulsion, millions of children were forced to leave Bihar and go to Varanasi, Delhi, and Mumbai.”

“This was the real beginning of the migration... Fortunately, the people of Bihar entrusted Nitish Kumar with the responsibility of government, and we are all witnesses to how the entire NDA team together brought the deteriorating system back on track...I am happy that Bihar has received a new Skill University at today's Skill Convocation. Nitish Kumar's government has named this university after Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur..." the PM said.

Reacting to this, an X user said: “Why only for Bihar? Because assembly elections are coming up in Bihar. What do you want to prove by giving ten thousand rupees to women? If any other party does the same thing, you start calling it "freebie culture”. Now you yourself are doing the same thing in Bihar.”

Another user posted on X: “Students who are protesting are being lathi-charged. The Bihar government is leaving no stone unturned. Bihar ranks second in the country in unemployment. The government has opened special banks just for votes.”