Thousands of students were on warpath alleging that papers were eleaked. They sat on dharna, seeking cancelation of the entire exam.
The incident, which occurred during the exam, resulted in chaos at the centre, where an additional examination superintendent, Ram Iqbal Singh, suffered a fatal cardiac arrest, and a female candidate fainted. The exam was conducted across 912 centres, and according to the BPSC, it proceeded smoothly in 911 of them.
“CCTV footage revealed that certain individuals created a ruckus, disrupting the examination for other candidates. To ensure fairness, we have decided to conduct a re-test exclusively for the affected students at Bapu Pariksha Bhavan,” Manubhai explained.
The disruptions were sparked by allegations of a question paper leak, with approximately 300-400 candidates boycotting the exam at the centre. Some students allegedly snatched the question papers from the invigilators, ran outside the room, and threw the papers over the boundary wall to individuals waiting outside. “Snatching question papers and attempting to share them externally amounts to looting public property. Such acts appear to be part of a planned conspiracy, and police action will be taken against those involved,” the Chairman added.
The situation escalated further as the claims of a leak spread on social media. The BPSC, however, refuted these allegations, maintaining that the exam remained fair and unaffected at other centres.
Given the large number of affected candidates, the re-test will require detailed preparations. “Arranging logistics, including the venue, security, accommodation, and paper-setting, takes time. We are aiming to hold the re-test in the second or third week of January,” Manubhai said.
Strict action has been initiated against those responsible for the disturbance. The Chairman confirmed that 30-40 individuals have been identified so far and will be permanently barred from appearing in future BPSC examinations. Two FIRs have also been registered, and the police are working to identify other participants in the incident, Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh confirmed.
The BPSC conducts the CCE annually to recruit Group A and B officers for various state government departments. This year, 2,035 vacancies are expected to be filled through the examination.
