Hundreds of students took to the streets in Patna on Tuesday to demand the cancellation of a major civil services recruitment exam. They allege that question papers were leaked and other irregularities took place during the process. Police responded by using water cannons and detaining dozens of protesters who tried to march toward the governor’s residence.
The Bihar Public Service Commission exam is a highly competitive state level test held to recruit officers for the state administration. More than 300,000 candidates appeared for around 2,000 positions. The exam was conducted in December 2024 and the results were declared in June after written tests and interviews.
Protesters broke through police barricades in the state capital. Visuals showed water being sprayed from cannons to push the crowd back. Some demonstrators were seen being taken into a police bus and driven away from the site.
Senior police officer KS Anupam later said the situation had become peaceful and that most of the students’ demands had been addressed by the government. Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari also stated that the government had responded to the concerns and that the door for dialogue remained open.
The state government has earlier denied claims of a widespread paper leak. However it did order a re examination at one centre when the issue first surfaced.
These protests form part of a larger wave of student unrest across India over alleged wrongdoing in competitive examinations. In recent months the Cockroach Janta Party led youth movement forced the resignation of the federal education minister. Similar demonstrations in neighbouring Jharkhand led to the cancellation of civil service exams there.
The Cockroach Janta Party has now announced a peaceful march in New Delhi next month. The group says the central government has failed to fully keep some of the promises made during earlier protests, including the withdrawal of police cases against students.
Young aspirants across Bihar continue to express frustration over the fairness of recruitment processes. Many feel that paper leaks and irregularities destroy years of hard work and preparation. The latest clash in Patna once again highlights the deep anger among students who believe the system needs stronger safeguards to protect the integrity of public exams.
