Patna: Amid growing discontent over alleged irregularities in the 70th BPSC preliminary examination, candidates have announced a mega demonstration here on Thursday (January 30), demanding the cancellation of the exam.
The protest is set to take place just a day before the Patna High Court on January 31 is expected to hear petitions challenging the examination process.
Candidates claimed that thousands of students are expected to join the demonstration on January 30.
To mobilise support, aspirants have been visiting coaching hubs in Musallahpur Haat, Bhikhana Pahadi, Annie Besant Road, and other areas, urging students to participate in large numbers.
Additionally, they are reaching out to students across various districts of Bihar to strengthen their movement.
Since December 18, agitating candidates have been staging a dharna (sit-in protest) at Gardanibagh, calling their movement “Shiksha Satyagraha” in the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent resistance.
Frustrated by the authorities’ inaction, they have decided to escalate their protest, coinciding with Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary on January 30.
Candidates are also questioning the BPSC’s decision to release the exam results despite the matter being under judicial review.
They allege that the commission acted in haste, disregarding students’ grievances and the pending court verdict.
As the controversy surrounding the 70th BPSC preliminary examination deepens, student leader Saurabh Kumar has raised serious concerns over discrepancies in the results released by the BPSC.
According to Kumar, only 6.3 per cent of candidates passed the examination who appeared on December 13.
In contrast, 19.2 per cent of candidates who appeared for the January 4 re-exam qualified. Kumar alleges that this disproportionate success rate suggests favouritism and selective clearing of candidates.
He further sounded critical of the re-exam held at 22 centres instead of just one, despite BPSC originally cancelling the test due to irregularities at a single centre. He also claimed that the quality of questions in the re-exam was subpar, raising further doubts about fairness.
A day after the protest, the Patna High Court will hear the case on January 31.
A total of 14 petitions have been filed seeking the cancellation of the exam on multiple grounds, including question paper leaks, last-minute exam centre changes, and procedural lapses.
The court has merged all petitions into one for a consolidated hearing. With growing student unrest and legal scrutiny, the BPSC faces increasing pressure to address allegations of irregularities, favouritism, and mismanagement.
(IANS)
