On Sunday 29 December 2024, the Bihar police lathi charged youth seeking cancellation of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination (CCE). Police also used water cannons to disperse the protesting candidates in Patna.
The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) conducted the Integrated 70th Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) prelims exam on 13 December at 912 centres in the state. 3.28 lakh candidates appeared for it across several centres. The exam is for filling posts in the state administration. However, the exam at one centre in Patna — Bapu Pariksha Parisar — was cancelled after reports of alleged paper leak at the centre interrupted the exams. A new date in January for re-examination at that Centre has since been announced
Hundreds of candidates who had appeared for the exam had been agitating at Patna’s Gardanibagh area since December 18, demanding cancellation of the exam across the state and a re-examination. The protests were based on reports of a leak of the question paper in some other centres as well, while there were delays in distributing the question papers at other locations. The BPSC authorities have however, conceded the leak at only one centre.
On 29 December after nearly 2 weeks of protests, the protestors organised a march to the Chief Minister’s office. The protesting candidates demanded a meeting with the Chief Minister, and were determined to keep up their protests until he met them. The police attacked the protestors with lathis and tear gas, to break-up the march.
The anger and frustration of the youth is very deep. Every such incident of exam paper leak causes havoc in the lives of the youth. In each such case, lakhs of candidates are striving to qualify for a few hundred job vacancies. The youth and their families spend large amounts of money for coaching classes to prepare for these exams and to apply for these exams. It is well-known that criminal gangs and huge sums of money are involved in these exam paper leaks, which work in connivance with the authorities. The candidates feel helpless when they find out that all their efforts have gone in vain and they have to go through the agony again in the dismal hope for a job.
The youth have every right to demand accountability from the Chief Minister. The unleashing of police repression against the protesting youth must be roundly condemned. The government and the authorities must be held accountable for ruining the lives and future of lakhs of youth.
The huge unemployment and terribly uncertain future facing the masses of youth is a result of the capitalist system prevalent in our country. This system works only to enhance the profits of the ruling capitalist class. It has no concern for the security of livelihood of the masses of people. The state and all its agencies work in the service of the ruling capitalist class.The ruling class is neither interested nor capable of ensuring good quality education, training and employment to the masses of youth, and of eliminating such criminal practices, because it benefits from this fraud and corruption.
Youth have to step up the struggle for education and employment, with the perspective of replacing this unjust and exploitative capitalist system with a new system that will guarantee education, livelihood and a secure future for all.
History of exam paper leaks This is not the first time that the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) question paper has been leaked. It happened earlier on May 8, 2022 and had to be scrapped. What is more, question paper leaks have become a common occurrence throughout the country. The most recent and notorious case is the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) 2024 paper leak case in Patna and other places across the country. While the Supreme Court ruled out cancellation or re-exam on the basis that it was not systemic, it had to declare that it was indisputable that the leak had taken place. In 2023 alone there were at least 10 paper leaks reported, of question papers of public examinations. It happened and continues to happen across all states. Here are some examples. The Hindi question paper of the Telangana Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and a paper of the Assistant Engineer recruitment exam were leaked, which eventually led to their cancellation. Through that year, questions papers of the Assam – High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) exams, the Maharashtra – Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) Mathematics paper and Rajasthan Eligibility for Elementary Teachers (REET) exam paper, among others, were leaked. The increasing number of leaks of examination papers points to a deep-rooted problem in the existing system. |