Fresh protests over government recruitment and competitive examinations intensified in Patna on Tuesday, August 25, as hundreds of students marched from Gandhi Maidan towards Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary’s residence. The protesters broke through police barricades and clashed with security personnel at Dak Bungalow Chowk. Police used water cannons to disperse the crowd. Several students were detained and some police personnel were reportedly injured. A woman student also reportedly fainted during the confrontation.

The march began around 10 am and was organised as part of the ongoing agitation at Gardanibagh. Students have been holding a sit-in there since August 18. More than a dozen student groups are part of the protest. Their demands cover several recruitment examinations and government jobs. A key demand concerns the fourth Teacher Recruitment Examination, or TRE-4. Students want the exam to have a single-stage PT-mains format. They also want negative marking removed and 100% domicile-based recruitment for government teaching posts.

The immediate dispute is over the examination pattern announced by the Bihar Public Service Commission, or BPSC, for TRE-4. The Commission has decided to conduct the examination in two stages. It has also retained negative marking in objective examinations. Students oppose both provisions. They want a single examination without negative marking. They are also concerned that a two-stage process could involve normalisation, which they consider controversial.

The BPSC announced on August 18 that TRE-4 will cover 32,388 teaching posts across primary, middle and senior secondary schools. Applications will be accepted from September 1 to September 30. The examination could be held in December or January, while the detailed schedule is expected in October. The Commission said it will conduct the exam in three shifts if applications remain below five lakhs. If applications cross five lakh, six shifts will be required. A proposal to give candidates an additional 10 to 15 minutes is still under consideration. The examination will consist of objective-type questions.

The BPSC has rejected the demand to remove negative marking. It said the system discourages candidates from making random guesses. The Commission has also maintained that negative marking will remain part of all BPSC objective examinations.

Students are also demanding the cancellation of the 70th BPSC preliminary examination. They have alleged administrative irregularities and a paper leak. The Commission has rejected these allegations. It said a copy of the paper circulating on social media was “completely fake” and showed what it described as the original answer sheet of a candidate who secured Rank 3.

BPSC examination controller Rajesh Kumar Singh said the candidate had answered Question 7 but left its sub-parts unanswered and received no marks for them. He said the evaluation was based on the quality of answers rather than the number of pages filled. The Commission has also said candidates will be able to access their answer sheets through their login IDs.

The BPSC has denied allegations of discrimination against Hindi-medium candidates. It said it does not collect data on whether candidates appearing for the mains examination studied in Hindi or English. The Commission maintained that examiners assess answers on their quality.

Domicile-based recruitment has emerged as another major demand. Student groups want 100% domicile-based recruitment in government jobs and teacher appointments. They are seeking exclusive preference for Bihar residents. The BPSC has said domicile is a matter for the state government and not for the Commission to decide. It also said around 72% of candidates appearing in BPSC examinations are from Bihar.

The protesters have raised several other demands. These include age relaxation and changes to recruitment examinations conducted by the Bihar Staff Selection Commission. They have also sought changes in recruitment for police personnel and other government posts.

On Monday evening, a delegation of student leaders met the district magistrate, senior superintendent of police and Education Department officials. Student leader Dileep Kumar said the delegation had sought meetings with the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary. The delegation was instead directed to the Education Department Secretary.

The Education Department later gave the student representatives proposals for changes to the TRE-4 syllabus. The proposals retain the proposed examination framework but consider changes to the PT and mains syllabi. They include greater emphasis on Bihar-related questions. They also suggest changes in the distribution of questions on child development, child psychology and teaching.

Student leaders said they would first discuss the proposals with candidates before deciding whether to withdraw the agitation. They stressed that the suggestions are not final decisions of the BPSC. The Commission would still have to consider them.

The protest gained further momentum after remarks made by BPSC examination controller Rajesh Kumar Singh during a press conference on Monday. While responding to questions about the agitation, Singh quoted the Hindi proverb, “Hathi chale bazaar, kutta bhaunke hazar” (those focused on a big goal should ignore irrelevant criticisms).

The remark drew criticism from protesting students and political leaders. Many interpreted it as a reference to the students taking part in the agitation. Singh later said the proverb had been quoted out of context. He said he had no intention of hurting the sentiments of any individual or group and expressed regret if anyone had been offended.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav criticised the statement and demanded an apology. The controversy became another point of mobilisation for the protesters. Student leaders subsequently announced the march towards the Chief Minister’s residence.

The Gardanibagh protest has also brought together groups with demands beyond TRE-4. Separate groups are seeking cancellation of the 70th BPSC examination, changes in TRE-4 and BSSC recruitment, librarian appointments and reforms in assistant professor recruitment.

PhD holders and research scholars had also been protesting against rules for assistant professor appointments. Their agitation reached an agreement with the state Governor on Monday night. A six-member delegation of the All PhD Holders and Research Association met the Governor for two hours. The group had been on hunger strike at Gardanibagh for 21 days and agreed to withdraw the strike.

Under the agreement, the 2026 assistant professor recruitment regulations will remain suspended until necessary amendments are considered. A committee of academics and administrators with experience in education will be formed within 15 days to examine the association’s demands.

The demands include raising the maximum age for assistant professor recruitment to 55 and introducing an objective written examination. Protesters also want written-examination marks to be combined with the Academic Performance Indicator, or API, to prepare the merit list. They have sought a teaching demonstration during interviews as well.

The committee will also examine changes to the API system. These include removing Class 10 and 12 marks from its calculation, retaining NET and JRF weightage at up to 11 and keeping PhD weightage at not less than 30. Research publications and experience will also be considered. The protesters want clearer definitions to prevent misuse of these criteria.

The demands of guest assistant professors will also be examined. These include minimum pay scales with dearness allowance, a uniform renewal process and consideration of their qualifications and experience for continued engagement up to the age of 65.

Amid Tuesday’s confrontation, the Bihar government announced a new initiative to address student grievances. Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said the government will hold a monthly “Vidyarthi Sahyog Shivir”, or Student Support Camp, on the fourth Tuesday of every month in educational institutions. Students will be able to raise their problems, complaints and suggestions directly with government officials.

The government also announced a “Vidyarthi Sahyog Portal” and helpline 1100. Students will be able to register complaints online and track their status. The government said the initiative aims to ensure that student concerns are heard and addressed within a fixed timeframe.