Despite widespread protests, BPSC rules out cancellation of Dec 13 exam

Unfazed by mounting pressure, the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) on Friday made it clear that the 70th Integrated Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024 held on December 13 across the state will not be cancelled over allegations of question paper leak.

Speaking to reporters here, BPSC Examination Controller Rajesh Kumar Singh said, "There is no question of cancelling the entire BPSC exam held on December 13. The BPSC decided to cancel the preliminary examination held at Bapu Pariksha Parisar centre only due to disruption created by a group of unruly aspirants as part of the conspiracy to disrupt the exam. The re-examination will be held on January 4 at some other centre in the city." 

 

  "We have information that a group of private coaching institutes are instigating aspirants... and they are mobilising students to raise the demand for the cancellation of the entire exam. Their demand is baseless," Singh said.

The BPSC examination controller's assertion comes in the backdrop of several political figures throwing their weight behind the protesters who have been demonstrating round-the-clock for more than a week and had even tried to storm the BPSC premises on one occasion which had evoked a police crackdown.

Last week, RJD leader and former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav had expressed his solidarity with protesters whom he met at Gardani Bagh, the protest site in the city.

Yadav also wrote a letter to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, demanding cancellation of the exam. Similar gestures have been made by state Bihar Congress chief Akhilesh Prasad Singh and Independent MP from Purnea, Pappu Yadav, who belongs to the INDIA bloc.

Besides, Jan Suraaj Party also wrote a letter to the chief secretary for cancellation of the exam and its founder Prashant Kishor went to the site of protest a day ago when he gave the government an ultimatum to resolve the crisis within three days failing which he would himself lead the protest.

However, the protesters seemed unimpressed with political leaders trying to use their stir for their own agenda, while YouTube influencer Motiur Rahman Khan, known as Guru Rahman, has declared that Kishor will not be allowed to take part in the protests.

He himself was chased away by the protesters on Friday when he visited the site of the dharna. Similar treatment was meted out to Khan Sir who tried to convince the protesters of his deep sympathy for them with the remark, "I am willing to sell one of my kidneys for the sake of your cause."  News channels ran video footage of the two social media personalities leaving the spot in a huff amid angry slogans being raised by the protesters against them.

"We will not allow anybody, including Khan Sir or Guru Rahman, to use our stir for their own gains," one of the protesters told reporters.

A group of aspirants is demanding cancellation of the entire exam of the BPSC held on December 13 across the state.

They have been staging a dharna at Gardani Bagh for the last several days. The protesters 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".