Patna: At Gardanibagh, barely 300-400 metres from Bihar assembly in Patna, a long temporary tent has been erected. Dozens of youths aged between 22-37 years are sitting and continuously giving bytes to YouTube channels.
They are raising slogans against the Nitish Kumar government and Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC). Anti-government slogans posters are hanging on the tent.
One such poster, written in a multiple-choice-question format, reads: “Expected questions in BPSC’s 71st exam: As per BPSC chairman, protesting aspirants are – (a) Non-serious (b) Anti social elements (c) Trouble maker (d) All of the above.”
Sumant Kumar has been sitting on a dharna at Gardanibagh since December 18, braving the bone-chilling cold. He wants the government to re-conduct the 70th preliminary examination of Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) as he suspects that the examination was not conducted in a transparent manner.
A banner at protest site at Gardanibagh, Patna, Bihar. Photo: Umesh Kumar Ray
“The examination has been compromised. The exam should have been held with the same question paper at all exam centres, but the examination at Bapu examination centre in Patna was cancelled and now the government has re-conducted the exam at the centre which had a different question paper,” he says.
This is Sumant Kumar’s second attempt in appearing for the BPSC exam. A history graduate, Sumant says this exam is very important for him. If he fails to qualify this time, he will have to take over the family’s small business, which he does not want.
“This is my last chance. I have been preparing for this, staying in Patna for the last three years. I am spending Rs 5,000 every month,” he says.
He alleges that the BPSC exam paper was leaked at many centres. He feels that because of this, only those who are in cahoots with the paper leak mafia will be able to pass the exam, while thousands of aspirants like him will not be able to qualify this time.
Abhinav Kumar, another candidate protesting at the site since December 18, has attempted for the fourth time.
“Mosquitoes bite us all night, cold winds blow, there is a foul smell from the drain flowing nearby. Still, we are sitting here…but the government is not listening to us,” he says and adds, “I think the government is being run by bureaucrats and not by chief minister Nitish Kumar.”
“The same allegations were made during the 67th preliminary examination. At that time, the BPSC had agreed to conduct the examination afresh at all centres. This time, it seems that the entire government is being run by bureaucrats. Nitish Kumar is not conscious. At least we should have gotten one statement from him. Does he not watch TV? Does he not read the paper? Aspirants were lathi-charged, but the chief minister did not give any statement. No police officials responsible for lathicharge were suspended.”
“How can a chief minister, whose political career started with the student movement, be so insensitive towards students?” he asks.
Over 3 lakh candidates appeared for BPSC exam on December 13
The Bihar Public Service Commission came into existence on 1 April 1949, which is governed by Articles 320 and 321 of the Indian Constitution.
The commission recruits candidates for Bihar government services on the basis of competitive examinations. Not only this, the commission also advises the state government in important decisions like appointment, transfer and promotion of officers.
The competitive examination is held in two stages. The first stage is called the preliminary examination. The candidate who clears it has to appear for the main (written) examination. Those who qualify the main exam, then have to appear for an interview round.
Since its inception, BPSC has conducted the examinations 69 times and on December 13, the council conducted the 70th preliminary examination for a total of 2,031 posts in 17 state government departments.
A total of 4.83 lakh candidates had applied for the exam, of which 3.25 lakh candidates appeared.
A total of 912 exam centres were set up across the state. Out of these, 22 centres were at the Bapu exam centre in Patna – the epicentre of the news of paper leak – from where a demand grew for re-examination across centres.
Candidates alleged that several questions in the paper were similar to the model paper of a coaching centre, which suggests that the paper had been leaked. There was also a rumour that BPSC was cancelling this exam.
What happened at the Bapu exam centre?
It was the Bapu exam centre where the paper leak rumour started; nothing has been confirmed yet. Aspirants who were present at Bapu exam centre told The Wire that a number of suspicious things took place at the centre.
One of the candidates says, “First of all, the question paper reached us late. The exam was to start at 12 pm, but the question paper was delivered to the room at 11:55 am. There were more than 250 candidates in our centre, so it also took time for the questions to reach each person. I received the paper at 12:25 pm – 25 minutes late. In that case, the answer paper should also have been collected at 2:25 pm, but it was collected at 2.10pm.”
“In the centre next to ours, many students tore the OMR (optical mark recognition) sheet alleging paper leak. Other aspirants tore the OMR sheet believing that BPSC is cancelling the exam. They thought that since there will be an exam again, there is no point in submitting the answer sheet. The torn OMR sheets were scattered from the bathroom to the stairs. Even the attendance of candidates was taken on a register instead of the biometric,” he says.
The BPSC, on the other hand, termed it a “rumour” and a “well-planned conspiracy”.
Prashant Kishor with aspirants at Gandhi Statue in Gandhi Maidan, Patna. Photo: Umesh Kumar Ray
“No complaint was received till 10 days after the exam that some of these questions were taken from the model question paper of a coaching institute. Some unwanted elements are spreading the rumour that some questions in the question paper of the said exam have been taken from the model question paper of a coaching institute. This is a well-planned conspiracy to mislead and provoke people,” BPSC said in a press release.
Regarding the examination at the Bapu exam centre, the commission said that between 1 pm and 1:15 pm, students were writing the exam peacefully. Then, some miscreants entered the other room, tore the OMR sheet, threw it in the air, spread the misconception of the examination being cancelled and incited the students to boycott it.
“Despite this, about 5,200 students completed their examination at the said examination centre and submitted the answer sheets,” the commission said.
Later, the commission announced a re-conduct of the examination at the Bapu examination centre, which was held on January 4.
The protesting candidates say that on the day of the exam, the commission claimed that there was no irregularity anywhere, whereas a few days later, the commission itself admitted that there was irregularity at the Bapu exam centre and the exam will be conducted again.
“How can we trust the commission then?” asks a protesting candidate.
“It is ironic that the commission is asking for proof from us. We did not go to the exam centre with mobile phones so that we can show the proof. If the candidates have doubts, then an inquiry committee should be formed for this,” demands another candidate.
Protest grows louder
Unhappy with the decision of BPSC, scores of candidates sat on a dharna at Gardanibagh from December 18. Many private coaching teachers extended their support as well.
Initially, it remained untouched by mainstream media coverage but the protest has grown louder since.
Also read: Bihar’s Descent From Ancient Centre of Learning to Hub of Education Mafia Is For All to See
A protesting candidate, on the condition of anonymity, says, “Neither the media nor the government was taking notice of our protest. Therefore, we decided that we will gherao (circle) the BPSC office on December 25.”
On December 25, they marched towards the BPSC office and sat in front of the office. Police resorted to lathi charge. Many candidates sustained injuries and were admitted to hospital.
A Delhi-based private coaching operator, Rohit Priyadarshi, who was with protesters since December 18, was arrested on December 26. Senior police superintendent Rajiv Mishra alleged that he was instigating the aspirants.
He was later given bail on the condition that he will neither write anything about BPSC, nor will he protest or give any public statement about it.
The Supreme Court has refused to hear a plea demanding cancellation of the December 13 exam. The top court said it the petitioner should have approached the Patna High Court first. According to a report by The Indian Express, the counsel appearing for the aspirants, led by petitioner Anand Legal Aid Forum Trust, pointed out the lathi charge on the protesters, stating that the high court could have taken suo motu cognisance. The Supreme Court did not make any comment.
Opposition clamour on police action
Following the lathi charge, opposition parties stepped in to condemn the police action.
The Jan Suraaj party entered this movement. Former election manager and Jan Suraaj founder leader Prashant Kishor announced a march from Gardanibagh to the Gandhi Maidan and on December 29, he reached at Gandhi Maidan with party workers and protesting aspirants. A student parliament was organised there and the future strategy was decided.
The same evening, once again, the candidates faced police violence.
Narrating the incident, Nitish Thakur, a BPSC aspirant present at the spot, tells The Wire that after the student parliament, the crowd started moving towards Dakbungla crossing with Prashant Kishor but the police stopped them by barricading near Biscomaun Bhawan.
There, the police asked Kishor to give his demands in writing. He then received a message that the secretary of the commission has agreed to meet the delegation of protesting aspirants.
“Kishor told the protestors that since commision is ready to talk, aspirants should return to Gardanibagh. But the crowd had grown to more than seven thousand. Shortly after Prashant Kishor left the spot, the police launched water cannons and used lathi charge on the protesters,” Thakur says.
The next day, a delegation of aspirants met with the chief secretary of Bihar to put forward their demand. The chief secretary, according to the delegation members, did not accept their demand for a total re-exam, nor did he reject it. He said that decisions will be made for their welfare.
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) (CPI-ML) protested against this lathi charge and the party leaders took out a march to the Raj Bhavan the next day and also met the Governor.
“There should be only one paper for an examination. The government will have to accept the demand of these candidates and conduct the examination again. Also, the government should apologize to the candidates for lathicharge,” said CPI-ML MLA Mehboob Alam.
Prashant Kishor arrested
Meanwhile, on December 31, Prashant Kishor started a fast unto death in front of the Gandhi statue at Gandhi Maidan against the lathi charge.
However, on the second day of the fast unto death, the police arrested him late at night. He was produced in the court on Monday and was granted bail.
Talking to the media after bail, Prashant Kishor alleged that there had been huge irregularities in the exams and said that he will continue his protest until the government fulfills the aspirants’ demand.
Also read: BPSC Protests: Arrested on Day 5 of Fast, Prashant Kishor Released from Jail on the Same Day
Government jobs have been sold at Rs 1-1.5 crores. It is a scam of more than Rs 1000 crores, he said.
While the protest in front of the Gandhi statue has ended for now, the one at Gardanibagh is still underway.
“Candidates have been given centres in far away locations, and if the exam is held again, it will only cause trouble to them. There are additional expenses, hard work will be wasted again. Still, we want the exam to be held again,” says Nitish Thakur.
“It is possible that the second time, the exam paper may be tough and those who could have cleared the first paper may fail. But if there is transparency, at least we will get satisfaction,” he adds.
Another aspirant says, “We prepare by staying away from the family and then we come to know that the exam is compromised, then everything goes to waste. This was the last chance for many candidates because they have grown old. If exam papers are leaked like this, their career will be over.”
