Amid the ongoing protests demanding the cancellation of a recent competitive exam in Bihar, a senior minister from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s cabinet has stated that there is no evidence to suggest a question paper leak. The statement came from Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, one of the top ministers in the state government, following a meeting between the chief secretary and a delegation of protesters.
Chaudhary told reporters on Tuesday, “The government has acted with utmost transparency. The chief secretary personally listened to the grievances of the protesters. However, to date, no evidence of a paper leak has been presented.” He emphasized, “As of now, we stand by the position that there has been no leak. This is also the view of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC).”
He added that while there was an incident of some disturbances at one exam center, a re-examination has been ordered for the affected candidates. “Clearly, there was a conspiracy to spread rumors about a paper leak, but no one has been able to specify where or to whom the paper was leaked. Those behind these malicious rumors must be held accountable,” Chaudhary said.
This position aligns with the BPSC’s stance on the matter. The Combined Competitive Exams for Bihar were conducted on December 13, but hundreds of candidates at the Bapu Pariksha Parisar in Patna staged a boycott, alleging that the question paper had been leaked. Following the protest, the BPSC ordered a re-examination for over 10,000 affected candidates, who will now appear for the test at different centers in Patna on January 4.
The commission, however, maintains that the exam was conducted smoothly at the remaining 911 centers across Bihar, with no complaints from the over five lakh candidates who appeared.
Despite this, a section of candidates has launched a sustained agitation, demanding that a re-examination be held for all centers to ensure fairness. This protest has garnered support from various political parties opposed to the state’s ruling NDA coalition. Among the supporters is the Jan Suraaj Party, founded by political strategist Prashant Kishor, who has been labeled by the opposition RJD as “the government’s B team.” Kishor led a protest on Sunday, which was met with a police crackdown. He has called for a resumption of the agitation if the government fails to address the protesters’ concerns by January 1.
Meanwhile, the CPI(ML) Liberation party, along with its allies from the Left, attempted a ‘Raj Bhavan march’ to press for an inquiry into the alleged paper leak. However, the police prevented the march from reaching the high-security area near the governor’s residence. The procession included CPI, CPI(M), and Congress leaders, and was led by sitting MP from Arrah Sudama Prasad and MLC Shashi Yadav.
Later, the Left leaders submitted a memorandum to the governor’s principal secretary, Robert L Chongthu, demanding an inquiry into the alleged paper leak and accountability for any officials involved. The delegation included Mehboob Alam (CPI-ML), Shakil Ahmed Khan (Congress), Ram Ratan Singh (CPI), and Ajay Kumar (CPI-M).
As the standoff continues, the state government and BPSC remain firm on their position, while the protesters and opposition parties intensify their calls for a fair and transparent examination process.
With inputs from PTI.