Patna, March 28 In a major setback for candidates demanding a re-conduct of the 70th BPSC Civil Preliminary Examination, the Patna High Court on Friday dismissed all petitions related to the issue.
This decision comes as a significant relief for the Bihar government and the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC).
The verdict was delivered by a division bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar, who had earlier reserved the judgment after hearing multiple petitions, including a PIL filed by Pappu Kumar and others.
The court firmly ruled that the 70th PT examination will not be conducted again, bringing closure to the prolonged legal battle.
With this decision, BPSC has resumed preparations for the Mains Examination, which is scheduled for April 2025.
The 70th BPSC Preliminary Examination was held on December 13, 2024, with over 3.80 lakh candidates appearing at 912 centres.
However, the exam was marred by allegations of question paper leaks at several centres. Bapu Sabhagar Centre, Patna, was found to have significant irregularities, prompting the BPSC to cancel the exam at this centre alone.
A re-examination was conducted on January 4, 2025, for candidates of the Bapu Sabhagar centre at 22 locations.
One of the major concerns raised by petitioners was the granting of six additional marks to candidates who appeared in the re-examination, while three questions were found to be incorrect, two questions were repeated from a previous exam, and one question was factually incorrect.
The petitioners argued that while the candidates of the January 4 re-exam were awarded these extra six marks, other candidates who appeared on December 13 were deprived of this benefit.
The alleged unfairness led to widespread protests in Patna, with many candidates demanding a complete cancellation of the 70th BPSC PT exam.
The protests intensified, resulting in a police lathi-charge, leaving several students injured. A case was also registered against coaching institute teachers accused of inciting the protests.
Prominent political leaders, including Rahul Gandhi (Congress), Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Prashant Kishor (Jansuraj), Pappu Yadav (independent) and others had lent support to the protesting candidates at Gardnibagh, Patna.
With the court ruling in its favour, the BPSC is now focused on conducting the Mains Examination as planned. Officials have confirmed that they are working on ensuring a fair and transparent examination process.
The decision is likely to stir mixed reactions -- relief for some but disappointment for those who felt injustice due to the re-examination benefit.
However, with the court's backing, the state government and BPSC appear determined to move forward.
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