The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) today, Monday, December 16, announced a re-examination for nearly 6,500 candidates who appeared for a competitive test at a Patna centre where protests erupted over an alleged question paper leak, as reported by PTI.
During the chaos at the examination centre on December 13, an official on duty suffered a fatal heart attack.
BPSC Chairman Ravi Manubhai Parmar, while announcing the re-examination, clarified that this decision applies only to candidates who appeared at Bapu Pariksha Parisar, one of the more than 900 examination centres across Bihar where the Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination (CCE) took place on that day.
The test saw participation from around five lakh candidates aiming for recruitment in Group A and B posts.
"We are cancelling the exams for Bapu Pariksha Parisar. Fresh dates will be announced for the nearly 6,500 candidates in due course," the chairman told reporters.
He also warned that individuals found responsible for disrupting the examination would be permanently debarred by the commission from future tests.
"So far, 30-40 such people have been identified and the police are at work to identify more," he added.
The decision followed a strongly worded report submitted by the district administration, which blamed the disturbances on a group of "anti-social elements posing as examinees" intent on disrupting the exam process to force its cancellation.
The report also took a serious view of the unfortunate death of the official on duty, who could not be taken to the hospital in time due to the protests, and recommended murder charges against those responsible for the disturbances.
The BPSC chairman stated, "Examinations were held in a free and fair manner in more than 900 centres, where close to five lakh candidates appeared on December 13."
The CCE 70th preliminary examination was conducted in a single shift from noon to 2 pm, across 912 centres in the state. Of these, the exams were conducted smoothly and fairly in 911 centres.
However, CCTV footage from Bapu Pariksha Parisar showed candidates forcibly snatching question papers from invigilators and storming out of the examination hall, claiming that the paper had been leaked.
"Snatching question papers from invigilators and showing those to outsiders are tantamount to looting public property. Police action will be initiated against these persons who seem to have acted as a part of a conspiracy," he asserted.
Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh revealed that two First Information Reports (FIRs) have already been registered in connection with the incident.
