In a decisive ruling, the Patna High Court has dismissed several petitions seeking the cancellation of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exams, citing a lack of definitive evidence to support claims of malpractice. The exams in question, part of the Combined Competitive Exams (CCE) (Preliminary), were held on December 13 last year across over 900 centers throughout Bihar.
The division bench, led by Acting Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and including Justice Partha Sarathy, has instructed the commission to proceed with the mains examination, emphasizing the need for a peaceful, fair, and transparent process. This decision comes despite the controversies surrounding the preliminary exams, which included a boycott by hundreds of candidates assigned to the Bapu Pariksha Parisar in the state capital.
Allegations of a question paper leak had prompted the boycott, leading to the administration rescheduling the exams for the protesting candidates at various centers around the city. This move sparked further discontent among other candidates, who claimed it compromised the fairness of the competition due to irregularities reported at more than 100 examination centers.
The demand for a re-examination was strongly supported by the leader of the opposition, Tejashwi Yadav, and his allies in the INDIA bloc, further politicizing the issue. The protests escalated as candidates staged an indefinite dharna, drawing support from various political leaders, including Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor. Kishor notably escalated the protest by beginning a “fast unto death,” which he discontinued after two weeks on medical advice.
