On May 8, 2022, the Bihar Civil Services (preliminary) exams, which are conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC), were called off hours after the question paper was found leaked. Screenshots of the question paper were found circulating on social media minutes before the exam was set to begin at noon. On May 9, the leader of the opposition in the state, Tejashwi Yadav, expressed his ire over the issue.
“That the BPSC has been in a mess is no great news. But after yesterday's incident, nothing more remains to be said. It is high time that the lok seva aayog (the BPSC) was renamed leak aayog. Examinations are seldom held on time and even when these are conducted, more delays take place on account of irregularities,” he said, as reported by PTI.
The exam was not immediately called off after the leak had been found but was declared cancelled by the Commission in the evening after the photos of the question papers had been verified to be authentic. Tejashwi Yadav has alleged that some "big fish in the Commission" has had an involvement in the leak. He has also demanded an immediate investigation into the matter. Additionally, he has asked for Rs 5 lakh as compensation for all the candidates who have suffered due to the leak. He has explained that many students had to travel long distances for the exam as the exam centres were located far from their homes.
The issue has taken a political turn as well. Tejashwi Yadav said that he has been raising the issue of the BPSC's style of functioning whenever the Assembly has been in session. He has also claimed that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has always seemed “blissfully unaware of what was going on right under his nose”, as reported by PTI.
