New Delhi/Patna, Dec 29 The controversy surrounding the 70th Combined Preliminary Exam of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) is assuming critical proportions with every passing day. Students have levelled allegations of irregularities in the examination, the poor quality of the question paper, and the similarities between the questions in the exam and model papers from coaching institutes. They are, therefore, demanding a complete cancellation of the exam and a re-conduct of the examination.
Opposition parties such as the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, CPI (M-L), and Jan Suraaj are supporting the students’ demands, slamming the government for jeopardising the future of students. BPSC has rejected these allegations, calling them "irrational" and has appealed to students to focus on preparing for the main exam.
Key developments so far
The controversy surrounding BPSC's 70th Combined Preliminary Exam, which began on December 6, 2024, continues to be a topic of discussion. The advertisement for this exam was released in September 2024, and 483,000 candidates applied, out of which 325,000 appeared for the exam.
The exam was conducted for 2,031 positions, including 200 SDMs, 136 DSPs, and other gazetted officer posts, making it one of the largest vacancies in recent years.
The preliminary exam was held on December 13, 2024, between 12 PM and 2 PM, with candidates answering 150 questions on general knowledge.
Timeline of events:
December 6: Students raised concerns about normalisation, accusing BPSC of introducing the practice. BPSC dismissed these allegations, calling them "rumours," stating there were no plans for normalisation.
December 13: A disturbance occurred at the Bapu Pariksha Parisar (Bapu Examination Complex) in Patna, where the question papers were delayed. As a result, BPSC decided to re-conduct the exam for 12,000 candidates from this centre on January 4, 2025.
December 18: Protests intensified at the Gardanibagh protest site, with students demanding the complete cancellation of the exam. The protest still continues.
Irregularities alleged at other centres:
Although BPSC has acknowledged the delay in question paper distribution at the Bapu Examination Complex in Patna, students are alleging irregularities at other exam centres as well:
The Bapu exam centre in Patna, built by the Bihar government in 2023, has also come under scrutiny. While the Bihar government claims it is the largest exam centre in the country, capable of hosting 20,000 candidates at once, coordination between the BPSC, Patna District Administration, and the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) was reportedly poor, contributing to the delay in the exam.
In a press release, BPSC clarified that the Bapu Examination Complex is under the administrative control of the BSEB, with no direct involvement from the BPSC.
Allegations regarding the question paper:
Another significant concern raised by students is the content of the question paper. Many students have noted that the questions appeared to be at the level of a police recruitment exam and closely matched model papers provided by coaching institutes.
In response, BPSC Secretary Satyaprakash Sharma explained that the exam paper is set by an independent panel of experts, and if the paper was simple, the cutoff would be higher, which should not be a cause for concern.
He acknowledged that there were a few similarities with coaching institute papers but downplayed their significance, stating that these questions would not help a candidate pass the exam.
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