Analysis: Significant Events Behind the BPSC 70th Exam Protests

New Delhi/Patna, Dec 29 (NationPress) The escalating controversy regarding the 70th Combined Preliminary Exam of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) is gaining serious attention as days go by. Students have made serious allegations of irregularities during the examination, citing the poor quality of the question paper and the striking similarities between exam questions and model papers distributed by coaching institutes. As a result, they are calling for a total cancellation of the exam and a re-conduct.

Political opposition parties such as the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, CPI (M-L), and Jan Suraaj are voicing their support for the students' demands, criticizing the government for jeopardizing the students' futures. In response, BPSC has dismissed these accusations, labeling them “irrational” and urging students to concentrate on preparing for the main examination.

Key Developments Thus Far

The controversy surrounding the BPSC's 70th Combined Preliminary Exam, which started on December 6, 2024, remains a hot topic. The advertisement for this exam was published in September 2024, with 483,000 candidates applying, of which 325,000 participated in the exam.

The examination was conducted for 2,031 positions, including 200 SDMs, 136 DSPs, and various other gazetted officer roles, making it one of the largest recruitment drives in recent years.

The preliminary exam took place on December 13, 2024, from 12 PM to 2 PM, with candidates answering 150 questions on general knowledge.

Timeline of Events:

December 6: Students expressed concerns regarding normalisation, accusing BPSC of adopting this practice. BPSC refuted these claims, branding them as “rumours,” stating there were no intentions of implementing normalisation.

December 13: A disruption occurred at the Bapu Pariksha Parisar (Bapu Examination Complex) in Patna, where the distribution of question papers was delayed. Consequently, BPSC announced a re-examination for 12,000 candidates from this centre on January 4, 2025.

December 18: Protests escalated at the Gardanibagh protest site, with students insisting on the complete cancellation of the exam. These protests are ongoing.

Allegations of Irregularities at Other Centres:

While BPSC has acknowledged the delay in question paper distribution at the Bapu Examination Complex in Patna, students are also alleging irregularities at other examination centres:

The Bapu exam centre in Patna, constructed by the Bihar government in 2023, has come under fire. Although the Bihar government claims it is the largest exam centre in the nation, capable of accommodating 20,000 candidates simultaneously, the coordination among BPSC, Patna District Administration, and the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) reportedly suffered, leading to the delays.

In a press statement, BPSC clarified that the Bapu Examination Complex falls under the administrative authority of the BSEB, with no direct involvement from BPSC.

Concerns Regarding the Question Paper:

Another major issue raised by students pertains to the question paper's content. Many students have observed that the questions seemed more aligned with a police recruitment exam and bore a close resemblance to model papers provided by coaching institutes.

In reply, BPSC Secretary Satyaprakash Sharma stated that the exam paper is created by an independent panel of experts, and if the paper was relatively easy, the cutoff would be higher, which should not be a point of concern. He acknowledged the similarities with coaching institute papers but minimized their relevance, asserting that such questions would not assist a candidate in passing the exam.