PATNA: At least 850 candidates boycotted the 66th Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) preliminary test at an examination centre in Aurangabad on Sunday, alleging paper leak.
The aspirants refused to take the exam at B L Indo Anglian Public School, alleging that the seal of the question papers was already broken before they reached the exam hall. Aashish Kumar, an examinee, said as per the protocol, the question paper should have been opened in front of the candidates. “However, the the seal was already broken and even the OMR sheets were not in order,” he alleged.
The examinees raised slogans against the state government and demanded cancellation of the exam. The centre coordinator, however, refused the allegation of paper leak.
As the examinees continued to create ruckus, Aurangabad DM Saurabh Jorawal and other senior district officials reached the exam centre.
The DM said, “In BPSC exam, each question booklet is sealed individually. We tried to explain this to the examinees. However, they did not listen to us. I even told them that they will get additional time to write papers, but to no avail. The district administration did not use any force on the candidates. They were allowed to leave the centre at 2pm.”
BPSC’s controller of examinations Amrendra Kumar said, “We have come to know that the candidates were demanding conduct of the BPSC exams on the pattern of SSC exams. In SSC exams, the seal of booklet is opened inside the exam hall. It was not possible as we have our own pattern. We are waiting for the detailed report from the district administration.”
Kumar said the exams passed off peacefully at all other centres in the state. “Around 60% candidates appear for the exams in the state. In Patna, 70% aspirants wrote papers,” he said.
Altogether 4.50 lakh candidates had registered for the BPSC-Prelims test in the state. The exams were held at 888 centres across the state (except Sheohar, Arwal and Sheikhpura districts).