The controversy surrounding the 70th Combined Preliminary Exam of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) has escalated, drawing criticism from students, political parties, and education stakeholders. Allegations of irregularities, poor-quality question papers, and similarities with coaching institute model papers have fueled demands for the exam’s cancellation and re-conduct.
The examination, held on December 13, 2024, was conducted to fill 2,031 gazetted officer positions, including 200 Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) and 136 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs). It attracted significant participation, with 483,000 candidates applying and 325,000 sitting for the exam. Despite its scale, the process has been marred by controversy, undermining trust in BPSC’s management.
The issue first emerged on December 6, when students accused the Bihar Public Service Commission of introducing normalization, a practice the commission denied as “rumors.” The exam day itself saw major disruptions, particularly at the Bapu Examination Complex in Patna, where delayed question paper distribution led to the decision to re-conduct the exam for 12,000 candidates on January 4, 2025.
Protests intensified on December 18 at Patna’s Gardanibagh protest site, where students demanded the exam’s cancellation. They cited not only the logistical lapses at the Bapu Examination Complex but also broader allegations of irregularities at other centers. Critics have also scrutinized the administrative coordination among the Bihar Public Service Commission, the Patna District Administration, and the Bihar School Examination Board, which oversees the Bapu Examination Complex, touted as the largest exam center in the country.
Further concerns were raised over the question paper’s quality and content. Many students argued the questions were akin to those of a police recruitment exam and closely mirrored model papers from coaching institutes. Bihar Public Service Commission Secretary Satyaprakash Sharma defended the exam, explaining that the paper was set by an independent panel of experts and stating that a simpler paper would result in a higher cutoff, which should not be contentious. While acknowledging minor overlaps with coaching materials, he dismissed their significance, asserting they would not affect the exam’s integrity.
The protests have garnered support from opposition parties, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Indian National Congress, Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist), and Jan Suraaj Party. These parties have accused the government of jeopardizing students’ futures and demanded accountability. However, the Bihar Public Service Commission has rejected calls for cancellation, urging students to focus on preparing for the main examination.
As the controversy deepens, the BPSC 70th exam protests highlight broader concerns about transparency, efficiency, and fairness in public recruitment processes, raising questions about the future of examinations in Bihar.
