New Delhi, Jan 4: The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) is conducting a re-exam on Saturday for candidates of the Bapu Pariksha Parisar centre, where irregularities were reported during the 70th Preliminary Examination. However, students and political parties have vowed to disrupt the exam today.

Over 10,000 candidates are expected to appear for the re-exam, which will take place at 22 separate centres.

However, protests have escalated as students demand the cancellation of the entire examination and a retest across Bihar. BPSC Secretary Satyaprakash Sharma stated there is no justification for a statewide re-exam, reiterating that the commission has no plans for further retesting.

Earlier on Friday, in Patna, the agitation led by former MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav disrupted railway services at Sachiwalay Halt station and halted vehicular movement. Left-leaning student organisations joined the protests, some of which were held without prior administrative permission.

Despite heavy police deployment, Rajesh Ranjan and his supporters entered the railway premises, sitting on tracks in solidarity with candidates on a 17-day hunger strike.

The protests stem from allegations of widespread irregularities in the BPSC Preliminary Examination. The demonstrators argue that limiting the re-exam to one centre is inadequate and unfair to other candidates.

The district administration has registered cases against Rajesh Ranjan and others for obstructing public services.

However Rajesh Ranjan has vowed to continue the agitation until justice is delivered, including taking the matter to the Supreme Court.

He reaffirmed his commitment to the cause, stating: “We will go to the Supreme Court on this issue. BPSC has done wrong and it has to cancel the entire examination. We will continue to protest on this matter. Our protest will continue in the future until the paper leak in Bihar and the country is stopped.”

With tensions rising and the administration on alert, the situation remains volatile. Further disruptions are anticipated as candidates and their supporters continue to demand statewide action.

Mumbai, Jan 2: After a muted beginning, the Indian stock market welcomed 2025 with a bang on Thursday, surging more than 1,400 points, or 1.83 per cent, as auto stocks saw a bumper rally on the back of strong car sales data for December.

The Nifty auto index gained 3.79 per cent.

Sensex ended at 79,943.71, up by 1,436.30 points, or 1.83 per cent, and Nifty settled at 24,188.65, up by 445.75 points, or 1.88 per cent.

Sensex logged an intra-day high at 80,032.87, while Nifty surged to the day’s high at 24,226.70.

Nifty Bank ended at 51,605.55, up by 544.95 points, or 1.07 per cent. The Nifty Midcap 100 index closed at 58,108.20 after rising 657.30 points, or 1.14 per cent, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 index closed at 19,080.35 after rising 120.55 points, or 0.64 per cent.

On the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), 2,400 shares ended in green and 1,571 shares in red, whereas there was no change in 115 shares.

On the sectoral front, heavy buying was seen in the Auto, IT, Consumption, Financial Service, FMCG and Realty sectors on the NSE.

According to market experts, increased momentum was observed in the domestic market, driven by optimism about the upcoming earnings season starting next week. The rally was broad-based, with most sectoral indices posting gains, they said.

“The auto sector led the way, showing the strongest momentum due to robust December sales that defied the usual subdued demand. Banking and IT stocks also performed well, as the economy bottomed in Q2,” an expert said.

In the Sensex pack, Bajaj Finserv, Bajaj Finance, Maruti Suzuki, Titan, M&M, Infosys, HCLTech, Zomato, UltraTech Cement, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and IndusInd Bank were among the top gainers. Only Sun Pharma was among the top losers. FIIs sold equities worth Rs 1,782.71 crore on January 1, while domestic institutional investors bought equities worth Rs 1,690.37 crore on the same day.

In a tragic accident, a biker succumbed to his injuries after a Bolero bearing BJP stickers hit and dragged him for two kilometers on the road. The incident took place near the Asmoli bypass in Sadar Kotwali area.

A horrifying video of the incident has surfaced online. The footage shows the speeding Bolero dragging the bike under its wheels, creating sparks on the road. The video was captured by travelers in another vehicle following the Bolero.

According to police, Sukhbir, a resident of Shahzadkhera village in Moradabad’s Mainather police station area, was returning home from his in-laws’ house in Basla village on Sunday evening when the incident occurred. Near Wazidpuram on the Asmoli bypass, a speeding Bolero coming from Moradabad struck his motorcycle.

The victim remained caught in the vehicle for about one kilometer before falling onto the road, while his motorcycle was dragged for approximately two kilometers. Police arrived at the scene after being informed and rushed the severely injured victim to the district hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on Monday morning, as per Dainik Bhaskar report.

The police have noted the registration number of the Bolero and are actively searching for the accused to apprehend them. Inspector Anuj Tomar has assured action against the accused.

The case has drawn significant attention as the vehicle displayed both a BJP logo and “Gram Pradhan” designation, suggesting it belongs to a local village head affiliated with the ruling party.

Police have launched an investigation into the incident, which occurred in the Sadar Kotwali jurisdiction of Sambhal district.