The capital city of Bihar, Patna, is witnessing a significant escalation in student unrest as protesting organizations have announced their decision to surround the Chief Minister's residence today. This move comes despite a series of discussions between student representatives and government officials that were described as positive. For several days, students have been staging a sit-in protest at Gardanibagh, raising a voice against various recruitment policies and examination structures, most notably concerning the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC).
Positive Dialogue but Continued Protest
A crucial meeting took place between the student organizations leading the movement and government representatives to address the grievances. Following the meeting, it was reported that significant progress was made on several key issues. Government officials provided assurances that many of the students' demands would be considered and fulfilled. Student leaders acknowledged that the gap between the government and the student community, which had widened over the past few days, is now on the verge of closing. They expressed their gratitude towards the government and the administration for the constructive nature of the talks.
However, despite the reduction in bitterness and the positive outlook following the meeting, the student organizations have remained firm on their pre-scheduled plan. They clarified that the program to gherao the Chief Minister's residence would proceed as originally intended. The leaders emphasized that while the dialogue was a step in the right direction, the physical demonstration remains a necessary part of their strategy to ensure their demands are met with concrete action.
Core Demands of the Protesting Students
The agitation is centered around several critical demands related to competitive examinations and recruitment processes in Bihar. The primary demand is the immediate cancellation of the 70th BPSC examination. The students have been camping at Gardanibagh for days to press for this and other reforms. Another major point of contention involves the Teacher Recruitment Examination (TRE-4). The candidates are demanding the removal of the PT-Mains structure and the elimination of negative marking for this specific recruitment drive, while they're advocating for a single-tier examination system instead of the current multi-stage process.
Despite these demands, the Commission has maintained a firm stance regarding TRE-4. Official communications indicate that the decision to conduct both PT and Mains won't be reversed, and the provision for negative marking will remain in place, while this clash of perspectives remains a central theme of the ongoing protest.
Comprehensive List of Student Grievances
The scope of the protest extends beyond BPSC and TRE-4.
- The cancellation of the 70th BPSC examination due to various concerns raised by the candidates.
- The implementation of a domicile policy to prioritize local candidates in state government jobs.
- An increase in the upper age limit for candidates appearing in various competitive exams to compensate for delays in recruitment cycles.
- The conduct of a single, unified examination for the TRE-4 teacher recruitment instead of the PT and Mains format.
- Ensuring complete transparency in all state-level examinations, including those conducted for BPSC and the Daroga (Sub-Inspector) posts.
- Granting age relaxation in all government recruitment processes to provide a fair chance to older aspirants.
Controversy and Suspension of Examination Controller
The protest gained further momentum following a controversial statement by the BPSC Examination Controller, Rajesh Kumar. When questioned by the media regarding the students' demonstrations, Kumar used a provocative Hindi proverb, "Hathi chale bazaar toh kutte bhonke hazaar" (When the elephant walks through the market, a thousand dogs bark). This remark was perceived as highly insulting by the protesting students and led to widespread outrage.
A video of the statement went viral on social media, intensifying the anger among the youth. Recognizing the gravity of the situation and the potential for further unrest, the government took swift action. Despite Rajesh Kumar issuing a video apology for his remarks, the state government decided to suspend him from his position as the Examination Controller of BPSC. This move was seen as an attempt by the administration to pacify the students, although the core demands of the movement remain unresolved as they prepare for the gherao of the CM's residence.