Protests over alleged changes to the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) examination process took a dramatic turn today, Friday, December 13, when Patna District Magistrate (DM) Dr Chandrashekhar Singh allegedly slapped a protesting aspirant. 

The incident, captured on video, went viral and sparked widespread debate, Times Now reports.

The controversy centres around a proposed "normalisation process" for the 70th BPSC Preliminary Examination. Aspirants have demanded the exam be conducted in a single shift with uniform papers to ensure fairness. However, the BPSC has denied implementing any such changes. 

According to Times Now, approximately 5,00,000 candidates are expected to sit for the exam on December 13, across 925 centres, for recruitment to Group A and B posts.

The protests intensified outside the BPSC office on Bailey Road, where demonstrators disrupted traffic before being dispersed by the police. Patna-based tutor and YouTuber Khan Sir joined the protests at Gardani Bagh, expressing solidarity with the students. He was briefly detained but later released.

Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajeev Mishra stated, "No protesters sustained any injury. Mild force was used to disperse those who tried to break the police barricade." 

While eyewitnesses alleged injuries during the lathi charge, police dismissed these claims. FIRs are being filed against protesters, with CCTV footage under review for further action, Times Now adds.