Patna, Jan 4: Even as a section of candidates and Jan Suraaj convener Prashant Kishor are sitting on a dharna here, the BPSC organized re-examinations at 22 centres for candidates affected by December 13, 2024, disruptions at the Bapu Examination Centre.

The December 13 examination of the BPSC was canceled due to chaos caused by the delayed distribution of question papers. This issue escalated when some candidates brought mobile phones into the examination centre, filmed the disruption, and possibly shared it widely.

Many candidates are protesting at Gardanibagh, expressing dissatisfaction with the examination arrangements and subsequent events.

Prashant Kishor, a political strategist and public figure, is also staging a sit-in protest at the Gandhi Maidan under the Bapu statue for three days, signaling broader discontent or seeking to amplify the grievances of the affected candidates.

Meanwhile, the district administration of Patna has deployed a large police force around the examination centers to ensure peace and prevent any untoward incidents.

Section 144 has been imposed, prohibiting the assembly of individuals around examination centres, to curb protests and ensure a controlled environment.

The officials deployed at the exam centres thoroughly checked candidates before entry ensuring no prohibited items, such as mobile phones, were brought inside.

Candidates can only carry admit cards, pens, and water bottles, to minimize the chances of malpractices or disruptions.

The district administration is also monitoring all 22 examination centres through CCTV cameras. It has also deployed 65 duty magistrates at centres and 14 at the control room to closely monitor the examination being held between 12 noon to 2 p.m.

Originally, 12,000 candidates were registered for the examination at the Bapu centre, but only 7000 candidates have downloaded admit cards for the re-examination.

The district administration has had the dual task of conducting a smooth re-exam and addressing the protests at Gardanibagh and Gandhi Maidan putting the administration under additional pressure.

The involvement of high-level security and administrative oversight highlights the issue’s sensitivity. Any misstep could further tarnish the BPSC’s reputation.

Patna, Jan 3: The agitation for the re-conduct of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) 70th Preliminary Test (PT) gained significant momentum on Friday as protests erupted across Bihar, drawing widespread participation from students’ unions, political parties, and activists.

The protest saw dramatic scenes in Patna as students broke barricades at the JP roundabout in Gandhi Maidan and marched towards Dak Bungalow Chowk, aiming to proceed to the Chief Minister’s residence.

Members of the CPI-ML, Congress, and All India Students Union (AISU) joined the students, amplifying the demand for justice.

Purnea MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, a vocal supporter of the movement, led a separate protest by blocking railway operations at Sachiwalay Halt earlier in the day.

Rajesh Ranjan and his supporters then marched to the Income Tax roundabout, intending to block Bailey Road and Veerchand Patel Path.

Rajesh Ranjan’s aide, Raju Danveer, reinforced their determination to disrupt the BPSC examination scheduled for January 4, stating, “We went to the Income Tax roundabout to block the road. The examination scheduled for tomorrow will be disrupted. Protests will be held near the examination centres. We will ensure a re-examination at any cost.”

The statewide protest has drawn support from diverse groups, including political workers who marched alongside students to demand accountability from the BPSC and the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government.

Paliganj MLA Sandeep Saurabh criticised the state government for its inaction, stating, “The agitation has been going on for 17 days, but the government has not resolved this issue. Evidence of irregularities has been presented. Instead of addressing the issue, the government resorts to lathi charges on the aspirants. We aim to make this deaf and dumb government aware of the issues faced by the youth.”

CPI-ML MLA Ajit Kushwaha also joined the protests, condemning the alleged irregularities as anti-democratic.

He emphasised the historical strength of Bihar’s movements against oppressive measures, saying: “Attempts to suppress the voices of Bihar with sticks and force have always failed. We will confront the Chief Minister to demand justice for the youth.”

Supporters of Rajesh Ranjan intensified their protests by blocking major roads and railway routes in Bihar.

The demonstrators blocked the Muzaffarpur-Barauni Highway near Khabra Shiv Temple, causing long traffic jams.

In Bhojpur (Ara), protesters set tyres on fire on the Ara-Sasaram Highway near Dhobi Ghatwa turn, bringing traffic to a standstill.

In Purnea, protestors disrupted National Highways, State Highways, and rail operations, crippling transportation in the region.

In Gaya, the demonstrators blocked the Manpur-Wazirganj main road, with slogans raised in support of BPSC candidates.

The protests have resulted in widespread disruption, including lengthy vehicle queues and halted railway services.

Protesters continue to demand the cancellation of the examination and emphasise the importance of transparency in the recruitment process.

Hyderabad, Jan 2: Police have picked up seven suspects for questioning after protests by female students of a private engineering college over alleged video recording in hostel bathrooms. The mobile phones of the hostel workers were seized and were being scanned on Thursday by the police to ascertain if they recorded the videos.

CMR Engineering College at Medchal on the outskirts of Hyderabad was rocked by protests late on Wednesday night.

Alleging privacy breach, the students staged a protest and demanded action against the accused.

They alleged that some hostel workers secretly recorded videos of female students in bathrooms.

Leaders of student unions including ABVP also joined the students in the protest which continued past midnight.

ABVP leaders demanded action against the management of the college. They alleged that female students were being blackmailed.

The protest began after some female students noticed hand imprints on the glass of ventilators in bathrooms.

The students also complained of inadequate security at the hostel and said though the issue was brought to the notice of the management, no action was taken.

They also alleged that when the warden was informed about the video recording, he made some objectionable remarks.

The student leaders warned that if videos recorded in bathrooms surfaced on social media, former minister and BRS MLA Malla Reddy, who owns the college, will have to take responsibility.

The protestors smashed the windows of the security room.

Police rushed to the college and tried to pacify the protestors with an assurance to take action.

The police officials said they would register a case based on the complaints and initiate a thorough investigation into the incident.

With no formal complaint being filed, police have not registered an First Information Report (FIR). However, they detained seven hostel workers for questioning.

The mobile phones of the workers were seized and were being scanned by the police to ascertain if they recorded the videos.