RRB NTPC Exam Protests: Student Union, Youth Bodies Have Called Bihar Bandh Tomorrow. 10 Points

Despite assurances from Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw that a committee will be formed to look into their grievances, the students are not ready to budge.

Aspirants block railway tracks during their protest over alleged erroneous results of Railway Recruitment Boards Non-Technical Popular Categories (RRB NTPC) exam 2021, at Muzaffarpur Terminal Railway Station in Muzaffarpur, Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. (PTI Photo)

New Delhi: The protests by the students of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh against alleged irregularities in the Railway Recruitment Board for the Non-Technical Popular Categories (RRB NTPC) entered the fourth day on Thursday.

Despite assurances from Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw that a committee will be formed to look into their grievances, the students are not ready to budge. 

The All India Students' Union (AISA) and other youth organisations have called a 'Bihar Bandh' on Friday.

As agitating students refuse to come to the negotiating table, we take you through some of the important developments on the front of the protests so far.

• Bihar is at the centre of protests, with Ara, Gaya, Nawada, and Sitamarhi railway stations reporting huge damage to property. Four bogeys of a train were set on fire by the protesters in Gaya.
• According to an estimate, the damage at the Nawada Railway station is to the tune of Rs 3 crore. Assessments are being done for the rest of the places.
• The maximum number of injuries has been reported from Nawada and Sitamarhi. Four persons from the Railway Protection Force, one fire services staffer, and two men of the Railway police have been injured in the incident.
• There were also reports of firing by students in Sitamarhi. A case has been registered in this regard.
• Police have detained 55 students in Bihar of which 32 are from Nawada, 22 from Jehanabad, 13 from Sitamarhi, and eight from Gaya.
• In view of the protests, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, on Wednesday, January 26, decided to suspend the Non-Technical Popular Categories (NTPC) and Level 1 tests.
• The railway minister also formed a high-level committee to look into the grievances of the protesting students, which will submit its report by March 4.
• Student unions aren't happy with the move and have termed the formation of the committee a 'hoax'. The All India Students’ Union (AISA), at a press conference, called it a 'conspiracy' to postpone the matter till the elections in Uttar Pradesh.
• Around 1.25 crore candidates had applied for over 35,000 posts from level 2 to level 6.
• The results of the Computer Based Test-1 (CBT-1) exam, held last year, were released on January 15 for shortlisting the candidates for CBT-2.