A large group of Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) aspirants gathered in Patna on Friday to protest against proposed changes to the rules for the 70th BPSC Preliminary Examination. The students, who have been preparing for the exam for months, are demanding the withdrawal of the new rules and are calling for the exam to be conducted in a "one shift, one paper" format. They argue that the proposed normalization process will disadvantage some candidates, as it introduces complexity and potential inconsistencies in scoring across different shifts.
The protesters voiced their concerns outside the BPSC office in Patna, holding placards and chanting slogans. They claim that the introduction of the normalization process, which adjusts scores based on various factors such as difficulty level of the papers, will create an uneven playing field. The aspirants believe that the "one shift, one paper" system would be more transparent and fair.
The situation escalated in the evening when the police intervened and dispersed the protesters using lathicharge. Several students were reportedly injured in the scuffle. The protesters were also concerned about the timing of the changes, as the examination is just days away, scheduled for December 13.
The BPSC has not yet responded to the demands, and the protests are expected to continue as the date of the exam approaches. Aspirants fear that the proposed changes will further complicate an already challenging examination process and hinder their chances of success. The protest has sparked widespread discussions among students, political leaders, and education activists in Bihar, with many supporting the aspirants' call for a fair and transparent examination system.
