Massive protests erupted in Patna on Friday as Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) aspirants voiced their opposition to the proposed changes in the rules for the upcoming 70th BPSC Preliminary Examination. The protesters, who gathered near the BPSC office on Bailey Road, are demanding the withdrawal of the new examination format and the implementation of a “one shift, one paper” system instead of the proposed “normalisation of marks” process. The protest, which intensified throughout the day, led to a police lathi-charge by evening to disperse the crowd.
The BPSC exam is scheduled for December 13, and the proposed changes have sparked widespread anger among aspirants. The normalisation process, intended to adjust scores from multiple exam shifts using a statistical formula, has been criticized by students who fear that it may disadvantage those taking the exam under more difficult conditions.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajeev Mishra stated that the protesters attempted to march toward the BPSC office, but were stopped by police and administrative officials. “The protestors were blocking a restricted area, and despite repeated requests to vacate, they refused to comply. As a result, mild force was used to disperse them,” Mishra explained. While some eyewitnesses reported injuries during the lathi-charge, Mishra denied these claims, clarifying that “mild force was applied to those attempting to break the police barricade.” He added that an FIR was being registered, and CCTV footage was being reviewed for further action.
The protest gained significant attention when Faizal Khan, a prominent educator and YouTuber known as Khan Sir, joined the demonstrators in Patna’s Gardanibagh area. Khan Sir, who is widely respected among civil services aspirants, expressed his strong opposition to the BPSC’s decision to implement the normalisation process. “We want the president of BPSC to confirm that there will be no normalisation, and that the examination will be held in one shift with one paper for all students,” Khan Sir told reporters at the protest site. He emphasized that the protesters were not acting out of personal grievances, but were united in their demand for fair treatment. “The person responsible for it should be accountable. We will not leave until we are assured that normalisation will be removed,” Khan Sir declared.
The educator also made it clear that the protest was not politically motivated. “We have nothing to do with politics. We are here to raise our demands in a constitutional manner. The government must listen to us,” he said, as the protest continued to gain momentum.
As the unrest grows, the future of the 70th BPSC Preliminary Examination remains uncertain, with aspirants and activists calling for a review of the decision. The situation in Patna has drawn attention to the ongoing concerns surrounding the fairness and transparency of the examination process, as students wait for a resolution to their demands
