What Sparked Bihar’s Latest Civil Service Exam Protest?

News Desk

Patna: Indian police detained dozens of protesters in Bihar on Tuesday after demonstrators attempted to march toward the governor’s residence, demanding action over alleged irregularities in a state civil services examination.

Police used water cannon to disperse the protesters after hundreds broke through barricades in the state capital, Patna. Visuals released by news agency ANI showed demonstrators being pushed back by water jets before several were taken away in police buses.

The protest centres on the Bihar Public Service Commission examination held in December 2024, which candidates have challenged over allegations of question paper leaks and other irregularities.

More than 300,000 candidates reportedly competed for about 2,000 government positions. The recruitment process, which included two rounds of examinations and interviews, was completed in June.

Authorities have denied allegations of a widespread paper leak but previously ordered a re-examination at one centre following complaints.

Senior police officer KS Anupam said the protest had become peaceful and that most of the demonstrators’ demands had been addressed. Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari also said the government had responded to students’ concerns and remained open to further dialogue.

The latest unrest comes amid growing scrutiny of competitive examinations in India, where allegations of leaks and irregularities have sparked protests in several states.

Similar demonstrations in neighbouring Jharkhand previously led to the cancellation of civil service examinations there, adding to pressure on authorities to ensure greater transparency in recruitment tests.

The Bihar dispute also reflects wider concerns among young jobseekers over the fairness of highly competitive government examinations, where a limited number of posts attract hundreds of thousands of applicants.