Patna: In a new development following Prashant Kishor’s ongoing fast over alleged irregularities in the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exams, his political outfit, the Jan Suraaj Party, has moved the Patna High Court seeking the cancellation of the exams. The petition, filed on Friday, raises concerns over the integrity of the BPSC’s Combined Competitive Exams held on December 13, 2024.
The petition, as stated by Jan Suraaj Party’s counsel, Advocate Pranav Kumar, calls attention to multiple irregularities during the exams. These include reports of candidates carrying mobile phones into exam halls without any security measures, such as jammers, and incidents where multiple candidates were seen collaborating to solve question papers together.
Kumar emphasized that these issues were not confined to one exam center but were widespread across the state, including at the Bapu Pariksha Parisar, where a significant number of candidates boycotted the exams, alleging that the question paper had been leaked. The petition also demands accountability for the officials who may have been responsible for overseeing the exams.
The Patna High Court has scheduled the hearing for January 15. Over five lakh candidates appeared for the exam across more than 900 centers, with a re-examination ordered for 1,200 candidates at Bapu Pariksha Parisar.
The Bihar Public Service Commission has consistently denied these allegations, claiming that there is a “conspiracy” to discredit the examination process. The commission’s decision to conduct a re-exam for a select group of candidates has been met with backlash from others, who argue that it creates an unfair advantage.
Meanwhile, Prashant Kishor, who has lent his support to the movement, continues his fast unto death, which began on January 2. Despite medical advice to stop, Kishor has refused to end his protest unless Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar steps in and engages in discussions with a delegation of civil service aspirants.
