Two cops injured, 25 students detained as Bihar protests flare

Anti-status quo sentiment boiled over in the Bihar capital on Tuesday, as job-seeking aspirants staged a protest near Gandhi Maidan, demanding the rollback of a proposed two-tier format for the BPSC Teachers Recruitment Examination (TRE-4), on a march to the Chief Minister's residence. With the police deploying water cannons and a minor lathi charge, the demonstration ended in a clash between protesters and law enforcement, leaving two officers injured.

Despite this, the authorities detained approximately 25 students, though they were later released without formal charges or arrests.

In a display of political solidarity, the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief and Union minister Chirag Paswan visited the protesting students on Tuesday and later met with Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, engaging in discussions regarding their demands. The tension surrounding the protests stemmed from a three-week-long agitation, during which job aspirants across Bihar opposed the introduction of a preliminary test for TRE-4, set to be administered in December 2026 or January 2027.

The opposition to the proposed two-tier format stemmed from the belief that the aspirants, who had already cleared the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) or State Teacher Eligibility Test (STET), felt that the addition of a preliminary stage was unfair and would introduce unnecessary delays in the recruitment process. A heated altercation erupted during the march when a wooden stick was thrown, injuring Patna Town Deputy Superintendent of Police Kamakhya Narayan Singh and a woman constable.

The controversy over the protests was further fueled by a controversial remark made by the state government's Examination Controller, Rajesh Singh, who used the proverb "Hathi chale bazaar, kutta bhaunke hazaar." Singh's statement became the subject of heated debate and resulted in his suspension for a brief period. The incident prompted a march by over 1,500 students, supported by 17 student organizations, under a "CM House Gherao" call.

Police increased security measures, including erecting heavy barricades at the Dak Bungalow crossing, in an attempt to prevent any security breaches, akin to a recent high-profile rally led by the Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav. A delegation of students met with Bihar Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit, who reportedly responded positively, assuring them of a favorable response within a couple of days.

The students demanded the scrapping of negative marking, reinstating the single-exam format, and addressing long-pending vacancies for music teachers and librarians, having been on continuous protest at Gardanibagh, the city's designated protest site, for 20 days.