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Journalism of Courage
The death of an invigilator at a centre for a Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) examination, followed by a retest, the death of another student by suicide, and now a fast-unto-death protest by Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor.
The row set off by alleged leak in the BPSC prelims exam has been generating heat in state politics since early last month, dominating discourse marked with student demands, the unemployment crisis, and an emerging leader trying to make a mark. Here is a look at the entire episode.
December 6: A week before the BPSC prelims exam – which is held to fill positions in state services including that of sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) and deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) – scores of students gathered outside the BPSC office in Patna demanding a written assurance about the scoring pattern.
They were protesting over speculations that the exam would follow the “normalisation” pattern. As per such a process, scores across multiple shifts of exams are equalised. It is deployed in cases where different shifts have different question papers. For example, if the first shift’s question paper is tougher than that of the second shift, the normalisation would increase the scores of the first shift’s candidates. The students wanted the exam to be conducted in a single shift.
As the students gathered to make the demand, they faced a police lathi-charge in which a student Vivek Kumar sustained a fracture in his leg. By afternoon, students gathered at a protest site in Patna’s Gardanibagh. The BPSC subsequently gave it in writing that the normalisation process would not be undertaken.
December 13: The BPSC prelims exam was held at 912 centres across the state. However, there was ruckus at a Patna test centre amidst allegations of delayed distribution of question papers. Patna district magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh rushed to the spot.
Amidst heightened tension, an invigilator at the centre, Ram Iqbal Singh, 58, suffered a cardiac arrest. The Patna administration had to rush him to a hospital, but protesting students blocked the way. Amid the chaos, Patna DM Singh slapped a student, further infuriating the protesters.
The DM later clarified that it was “unintentional” and that the administration was concerned only with saving the invigilator. Ram Iqbal Singh’s son Sunny Kumar later told reporters that his father had already suffered a cardiac arrest before the students blocked the way and that he “could not tolerate tension and suffered another cardiac arrest,” which apparently led to his death.
A few days later, the BPSC ordered a retest at the Patna centre after finding evidence of delayed distribution of question papers.
But, then it came to light that there was a delayed distribution of papers at 30 other exam centres. Additionally, some non-functional CCTVs were also found.
December 18: Students began a protest at two sites in Patna, demanding the retest of the exam and the withdrawal of FIRs against several students that were filed during the initial protest at the Patna centre. The protest continued although it was done on a small scale.
December 24: A student Sonu Kumar, who had also been preparing for the BPSC exam, died by suicide allegedly. Though no suicide note was found, Sonu’s family told the police that his son was “desperate to get a job” and “had been under a lot of pressure”. His death fuelled the students’ stir.
December 25: The police lathi-charged the students again. Over a dozen students suffered minor injuries. Khushbu Kumari, a protesting student, alleged that she had been beaten by male police men and that women police officials were not present. The same evening, Prashant Kishor visited the protest site at Gardanibagh. He then called upon all students for a meeting on December 27 and decided to march from Gandhi Maidan to meet Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
December 29: Over 15,000 students gathered at Gandhi Maidan. Kishor and the student protesters were stopped on their way to meet the CM. Kishor went on to sit on a dharna, while the students were offered a meeting with a secretary level officer to discuss their demands. As students were divided over the administration’s proposal, Kishor left the site. He later told The Indian Express: “Had I not left, students would have turned violent. I want a peaceful protest.”
December 30: The Nitish-led NDA government said the students could meet Chief Secretary Amrit Lal Meena to discuss their demands. Jan Suraaj Party leader and former IPS officer RK Mishra led a delegation of students to meet Meena, but it could not make any breakthrough. There was no word from the government over the demand for cancelling the exam and ordering a retest.
Kishor then set a 48-hour deadline for the government to resolve the matter, following which he began his fast-unto-death protest below Mahatma Gandhi’s statue at the historic Gandhi Maidan in Patna.
So far, two FIRs have been lodged against Kishor and three FIRs have been registered against many students for protesting at “prohibited” sites. However, no student has been arrested so far.
As students continue to protest along with Kishor at Gandhi Maidan, there is still no statement from the government or the BPSC over their demands.
“It is between students and CM Nitish Kumar. I am here because students were beaten. I do not believe much in protests. I believe in dialogues,” said Kishor.
“We stand by our position on the issue. We have not heard from the government. We know students have met the Chief Secretary but BPSC is an autonomous body that takes its decision on the basis of facts and reasons, not allegations and protests,” a BPSC functionary said.
