Aspirants of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) in Patna have been staging protests against the revised rules for the upcoming 70th BPSC Preliminary Examination. 

They are urging the authorities to conduct the exam in a “one shift, one paper” format, instead of implementing the “normalisation of marks” process, which adjusts scores to maintain fairness across multiple exam shifts.

The aspirants claim the new system is unfair and are advocating for the return of the traditional method, expressing concerns that it could negatively affect their exam performance.

Protests near the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) office in Patna intensified on Friday, leading to police intervention. Officers used a lathi-charge to disperse students who had blocked traffic.

Some protesters alleged that they were injured during the lathi-charge, though the police denied these claims, stating that only mild force was used to break up the demonstration.

Police further explained that the use of force was necessary to remove the barricades set up by the protesters to block the road. 

The protests were sparked by the BPSC’s refusal to revert changes to the exam rules.

BPSC 70th CCE Exam 2024: Protest and Concerns Over Exam Format

The 70th BPSC Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination, set for December 13, aims to fill Group A and B positions. Approximately five lakh candidates are anticipated to take part in the exam, which will be held across 925 centres.

The protest follows demands from RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who has called for clarification on the ‘normalisation process’ and requested that the BPSC revert to the previous exam format.

“The BPSC should conduct the exams as they were done earlier, without implementing the normalisation process. The Commission should also extend the examination date,” Yadav said in a statement.