BPSC stands firm on negative marking, two-stage exams; controller's 'elephant' remark stirs row

The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) on Monday firmly rejected two key demands of protesting job aspirants, announcing that negative marking will stay in all objective examinations and that every future exam will be conducted in at least two stages.

The clarification, however, was quickly overshadowed by a remark from the Commission's examination controller, Rajesh Kumar Singh. While fielding questions about the ongoing protests, Singh casually cited the Hindi proverb, "Hathi chale bazaar, kutta bhaunke hazar" (an elephant walks while a thousand dogs bark). The proverb, often used to encourage focus amidst distraction, was interpreted by critics as a dismissive reference to the protesting students, triggering a sharp political backlash.

Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, termed the remark "shameful," asserting that such language from officials would not be tolerated. Singh later issued a video statement, claiming the proverb was taken out of context. "A proverb quoted by me is being twisted and presented out of context on social media. I had no intention of hurting the sentiments of any specific individual or group," he said, expressing regret if anyone was hurt.

The controversy unfolded against the backdrop of sustained protests in Patna's Gardanibagh, where students have been demonstrating since August 18 over several demands, including the proposed examination pattern for the fourth Teacher Recruitment Examination (TRE-4).

In a separate development, students under the banner of the All PhD Holders and Research Association have agreed to withdraw their 21-day hunger strike following a two-hour meeting with Bihar Governor Syed Ata Hasnain. The Governor assured a six-member delegation that their key demands regarding the 2026 Assistant Professor Recruitment Regulations would be considered, with the regulations kept on hold pending necessary amendments. A committee of educationists and administrators will be formed within 15 days to examine issues such as age limits, exam patterns, and weightage for API/PhD/NET-JRF. While this group has called off its stir, other protests at Gardanibagh were still underway.

At the press conference, Singh defended the two-stage exam format, stating it was not unique to Bihar and citing examples like UPSC, UPPSC, Gujarat, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. He argued that negative marking is a uniform provision applied to all candidates and that removing it could encourage guessing, benefiting those who are underprepared. The Commission also rejected allegations of discrimination against Hindi-medium candidates and dismissed claims that marks above 60% could not be awarded.

Addressing a controversy over the answer sheet of the candidate who secured Rank 3 in the 70th BPSC mains, the Commission termed a viral copy of a largely blank sheet "completely fake" and displayed what it described as the original. Singh explained that the candidate had answered Question 7 but left its sub-parts unattempted, for which no marks were given. He added that evaluation is based on answer quality, not page count, and invited candidates with evidence of wrongdoing to approach the court.

For TRE-4, applications will be accepted from September 1 to 30, with the exam likely held in December or January. Officials noted that if applications stay below five lakh, the exam will run in three shifts; otherwise, six shifts will be required. A proposal to add 10-15 extra minutes is under consideration. The Commission also clarified that domicile policy is a state government matter and that about 72% of BPSC candidates are from Bihar. On the Assistant Engineer exam held a year ago, results remain pending due to a court case, with the Commission awaiting the Advocate General's opinion. Meanwhile, student leaders have announced a march towards the Chief Minister's residence on Tuesday.