BPSC aspirants clash with police; water cannons used at protestors marching to Raj Bhavan in Patna

Patna (Bihar) [India], August 25 (ANI): Tensions escalated in Patna on Tuesday as police deployed water cannons to disperse students marching towards Raj Bhavan and the Chief Minister's residence to protest, demanding the cancellation of the 70th Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) examination.
The dynamic on the ground turned chaotic earlier in the day when hundreds of students staged a march starting from Gandhi Maidan towards Raj Bhavan. The demonstration escalated when protesters attempted to cross restricted zones despite security barricades, prompting law enforcement to use water cannons and detain several individuals to control the crowd.

Assessing the situation following the deployment of force, SSP Kartikey Kumar Sharma stated, "Everything is normal as of now. We are also releasing the traffic slowly."
Meanwhile, Union Minister Chirag Paswan expressed solidarity with the concerns of the students, assuring that he will meet Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary regarding the issue to find a reasonable solution.
"I support their sentiments. I have always worked to convey legitimate concerns to the appropriate forums. Previously, when students aspiring to pursue a PhD raised concerns--particularly regarding the implementation of UGC regulations in Bihar--I took up the matter with the Chief Minister. I will try to meet the Chief Minister regarding the changes currently being demanded today itself and urge him to find a solution," he said.
Urging a peaceful demonstration, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari noted, "If there is an issue, it will be heard. Whatever the problem may be, it should be raised peacefully. The government will listen to every issue and find a solution."
Bihar Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari maintained that the government has actively addressed the grievances and criticised political commentary from opposition figures.
"All the issues over which the students were staging a sit-in have been resolved. It is not as if the student agitation was the sole reason for this; it is the government's very intent to resolve the problems faced by our youth in a timely manner. We have addressed every issue raised by the youth. I was surprised to hear a person who has never even taken a board exam offering suggestions on examinations. That is why I would say to Tejashwi Yadav to enrol in a Bihar government school, pass the tenth-grade exam, and then come back to offer us suggestions on examinations," Tiwari remarked.
Highlighting the long-term governance targets of the ruling coalition, JD(U) leader Shravan Kumar cautioned students against being misled by political opponents.
"It is Nitish Kumar's resolve to provide 10 million (1 crore) jobs and employment opportunities to the people of Bihar between 2025 and 2030. Recruitments are taking place in every sector, and vacancies are being announced in every department. I urge our youth to exercise patience and not fall for the Opposition's ploys; they are not going to provide jobs. They merely intend to exploit your hard work and sweat to further their own political interests. Beware of them," Kumar said.
Meanwhile, the Opposition slammed the State government as Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav wrote a letter to the Chief Minister, requesting immediate administrative engagement and a resolution without ignoring the students' concerns.
In his letter, Yadav urged the state administration to conduct the TRE 4 as a single examination and immediately end the alleged discrimination faced by Hindi-speaking candidates in the BPSC Civil Services Main Examination and interview.
He further demanded complete transparency in all competitive exams, including Sub-Inspector, Constable, BSSC, and BPSC. He also demanded a high-level independent inquiry into past examinations and strict action against recruitment mafias.
The RJD leader also urged the government to promptly announce time-bound exam schedules for all pending tests, including the BSSC Intermediate, CGL, ASO, BSO, Librarian, and Accountant recruitment drives.
Moreover, Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) MLA Prashant Kishor highlighted that sustained public agitations have forced a shift in administrative behaviour across the state.
"What young friends across the country are doing has created an impact such that over the last two or three months, you are witnessing the power of democracy in the country. In Bihar itself, over the past three or four years, whenever any protest occurred, no matter which section of society was involved, they were met with lathi charges (police lathis). Today, at least before ordering a lathi charge, the government or administration is thinking twice. This is the power of democracy, and in a way, it is a positive thing," Kishor asserted.
The students staged the demonstration demanding the cancellation of the 70th BPSC examination over alleged irregularities.

A protestor, Vikas Bhatt, said that the students demanded improvements in the education system and action over repeated examination paper leaks.
Speaking to ANI, Vikas said, "Our demand is that the education system in Bihar be improved. We are raising issues regarding the frequent exam paper leaks in the state. Look at the recruitment for librarians; it hasn't happened for 18 years; do you need 1,800 years? Whenever we stage a protest, they simply offer assurances and leave it at that. How can things go on like this? Three recruitment drives were announced through the BSSC, but it has been three years. We have repeatedly besieged the BSSC commission, demanding that the exam dates be announced. Despite this, they keep asking for 15 days' time. Apart from the BPSC, there isn't a single commission in Bihar that issues an annual calendar," Bhatt said.
The agitation focused heavily on the proposed Teacher Recruitment Examination - Fourth Phase (TRE-4), with students objecting to the proposal of conducting the TRE-4 exams in two phases across the state while demanding the immediate release of the official TRE-4 advertisement. (ANI)