Bihar BPSC Exam: Paper Leak Allegations Trigger Protests, Boycott; FIR Filed As Chairman Denies Claims

BPSC chairman, Parmar Ravi Manubhai, said the exam was held in a free and fair manner over 900 centres, where around five lakh candidates appeared on Friday.

Reports of a potential leak of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) preliminary examination question paper caused a stir at an examination centre on Friday. As a result, the commission has issued a warning of police action against those allegedly involved in the "conspiracy".

Approximately 300-400 aspirants staged a boycott of the BPSC's 70th Integrated Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024 at the Bapu Examination Centre in Kumhrar, Patna, claiming the question paper had surfaced on social media before the exam began.

The situation escalated into chaos at the examination centre, where an additional examination superintendent, Ram Iqbal Singh, suffered a cardiac arrest, and a female candidate fainted. However, BPSC chairman, Parmar Ravi Manubhai, stated that examinations were conducted in a free and fair manner over 900 centres, where around five lakh candidates appeared on Friday.

"The BPSC CCE 70th preliminary examination was held in a single shift from noon to 2 pm. The examination was held in 912 centres across the state, and of those, free and fair exams were held in 911 centres," Parmar told news agency PTI.

"However, in one centre in Patna, some of the candidates snatched question papers from the invigilators and stormed out of the examination hall screaming that the paper had been leaked. Snatching question papers from invigilators and showing those to outsiders is tantamount to looting public property. Police action will be initiated against these persons who seem to have acted as a part of a conspiracy... we are examining CCTV footage to identify them," he added.

Highlighting the conspiracy, he also said, "Mobile phones were not allowed inside the examination centre, then how did these candidates come to know about the rumours of question paper leak? Definitely, some conspiracy is at work. Police are investigating the matter... there has been no leak of the question paper at all. The examination will not be cancelled which a very few people with vested interest are demanding."

FIR Registered

As soon as the reports came to light, Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh reached the examination centre. "Authorities have registered an FIR to ascertain the identity of those who attempted to take the law into their hands inside and outside an examination centre at Kumhrar. A group of protestors gathered outside the Bapu examination centre and blocked the movement of traffic." "An additional superintendent at Bapu examination centre, Ram Iqbal Singh, suffered a cardiac arrest and the ambulance carrying him was stuck in the blockade. Mild force was used to clear the blockade. Ram Iqbal Singh, however, died in the hospital during treatment. A female candidate also fell unconscious in the same examination centre," PTI quoted DM as saying.

Clarifying about slapping one of the protestors outside the Bapu examination centre, the DM answered, "It was never my intention to slap or hurt any aspirant." He added that there was a small delay in the distribution of question booklets inside one or two examination halls at the centre. "Against the seating arrangements for 272 students in each examination hall, boxes of each question booklet had only 192 sets. This caused a delay in the distribution of question booklets. This was objected to by the aspirants who snatched question papers from invigilators and alleged that the paper was leaked," he said.

After this, approximately 300-400 students went outside of the examination halls and alleged that the paper was leaked, the DM said. "The remaining candidates of other examination halls in the same centre took the exam and came out of the halls only after 2 pm. The district administration will submit its report on the incident to the BPSC for appropriate action," the DM added.

Some students alleged delays in receiving question booklets and OMR sheets during the exam. One of the outside the Kumhrar centre told PTI questioning the system, why only 192 question papers were brought in one set when seating arrangements were made for 272 candidates.

Meanwhile, the Bihar Police have launched an investigation into the allegations raised by the students.

Manavjit Singh Dhillon, Deputy Inspector General of the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the Bihar Police, said, "We are ascertaining details and keeping a close watch on the developments."

The BPSC's combined preliminary competitive examination, held on Friday, aims to recruit candidates for Group A and B posts. Last week, aspirants staged a protest in Patna against alleged changes to the preliminary examination rules, demanding an extension of the exam date. The BPSC, however, had dismissed claims of any changes in the examination process.

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