Bihar Police job aspirants staged a protest march in Patna on Monday, demanding that the cancellation of the Bihar Police Subordinate Services Commission (BPSSC) sub-inspector mains examination be withdrawn and the recruitment process resumed. The candidates began their march from Gandhi Maidan and headed towards the chief minister's residence, but police stopped them at JP Golambar after putting up barricades. The protest followed the BPSSC's September 23 decision to cancel the mains examination for recruitment to 1,799 sub-inspector posts, citing “unavoidable reasons”. The latest demonstration has added to the growing pressure from candidates seeking clarity over the future of the recruitment process.

The protesters include candidates who had cleared the stages of the recruitment process and were preparing for the physical efficiency test when the examination was cancelled. According to candidates quoted by PTI, they want the recruitment process to resume immediately and dates for the physical test to be announced. Protester Raunak Kumar said the candidates had cleared the preliminary and mains examinations and were preparing for the next stage when the cancellation was announced. He alleged that the government had acted under pressure from unsuccessful candidates, a claim that represents the protesters' view and has not been independently established. Another candidate, Nidhi, said aspirants had spent more than a year preparing for the recruitment and wanted an opportunity to raise their concerns directly with Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary.

The BPSSC had cancelled the mains examination held on May 27 under the recruitment process for 1,799 posts. The commission's September 23 notice cited unavoidable reasons and said a fresh examination date would be announced separately. Reports following the cancellation said allegations of irregularities had emerged around the examination, while another group of aspirants had protested in Patna last month seeking action and transparency. The commission had earlier described the examination as free from malpractice, although it acknowledged that images of an inappropriate question-paper booklet had circulated from one centre each in two districts. The cancellation subsequently left candidates uncertain about the status and timeline of the recruitment.

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The scale of the recruitment process has added to the candidates' concerns. More than 10 lakh applications were reportedly received for the 1,799 vacancies, while 34,302 candidates appeared for the mains examination conducted on May 27. Of these, 35,857 candidates had been shortlisted for the mains examination after the preliminary stage, according to reports. Candidates have argued that a blanket cancellation affects aspirants who had cleared the required stages and spent considerable time and money preparing for the recruitment. Some protesters have also demanded that any alleged irregularities be investigated on the basis of available evidence and that action be taken against specific centres or individuals if wrongdoing is established, rather than leaving all candidates facing uncertainty.

Monday's march came after candidates had already been holding protests over the cancellation. Reports said aspirants had earlier gathered in Patna's Gardanibagh and raised questions about the decision and the absence of a clear timetable for the next stage. During Monday's march, police deployed security personnel and stopped the protesters at JP Golambar as they attempted to proceed towards the chief minister's residence. Officials appealed for the protesters to maintain peace and suggested that a five-member delegation could present their demands through the appropriate channel. The demonstrators, however, insisted that they wanted to meet the chief minister directly and said they would remain at the spot if their demand was not met.

The protesters are now seeking a clear decision on the cancelled examination and a time-bound schedule for completing the recruitment process. Their immediate demands include withdrawal of the cancellation, resumption of recruitment and announcement of dates for the physical efficiency test. The BPSSC has said a fresh date for the written examination will be announced separately, while candidates continue to seek greater clarity over why the examination was cancelled and what will happen to those who had already cleared it. The dispute has consequently become a significant recruitment-related protest in Patna, with aspirants pressing the state authorities for a transparent and definite roadmap for the 1,799 police sub-inspector posts.

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