A delegation of MLAs from the INDIA Alliance met the Governor of Bihar in Patna on January 6, raising concerns over grave irregularities in the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) examination process, procedural and institutional errors, and the government crackdown on protesters. The delegation submitted a memorandum addressing these critical issues.
The memorandum referred to the chaos surrounding the 70th BPSC Preliminary Test held on 13 December 2024. It pointed to allegations of question paper leaks across various centres, particularly at the Bapu Sabhagar examination venue, where blatant malpractices came to light. While thousands of aspirants demanded a re-examination for all candidates, the state government and BPSC chose to reschedule the test exclusively for the 12,000 candidates of Bapu Sabhagar, ignoring the concerns of millions of others.
The delegation criticised the decision to hold re-examinations exclusively for the 12,000 candidates at the Bapu Sabhagar examination centre, arguing that this creates inequality among candidates. They emphasised that determining results based on two different sets of question papers is inherently inconsistent and unjust.
The delegation condemned the government’s brutal suppression of peaceful protests, which included baton charges, water cannons, and false cases against students, activists, and even opposition leaders who stood in solidarity with the protestors. The repression drew widespread condemnation nationwide.
The memorandum also flagged structural and institutional failures in Bihar’s education system. "The crisis is not limited to one examination. Paper leaks and exam delays have become a systemic issue. Protected by the nexus of administrative apathy and exam mafias, Bihar's education system has fallen prey to deep-seated corruption," the memorandum stated.
It highlighted the chronic issues plaguing Bihar's educational institutions—empty teaching positions in universities, delayed academic sessions, and deteriorating school infrastructure. The closure or merger of hundreds of government schools in recent years has further aggravated the education sector crisis in the state.
The delegation included Mehboob Alam, leader of the CPI(ML) legislative group, CPI(ML) MLC Shashi Yadav Alok Mehta, RJD leader and former minister, Congress leader Rajesh Ram, as well as leaders from the CPI and CPM.
