Police used mild lathicharge on Friday to disperse a large group of protesting aspirants near the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) office in Patna, who were demanding withdrawal of "changes" to the rules for the 70th BPSC Preliminary Examination scheduled for December 13. The BPSC, however, denied any changes to the examination process.

According to senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rajeev Mishra, a large number of aspirants gathered near the BPSC office on Bailey Road around noon, attempting to march towards the office.

"When police and administration officials prevented them from proceeding, the protesters sat on the road, disrupting traffic. Despite repeated requests to vacate the area, they refused to leave. Since it is a restricted area and protests are not allowed there, a mild lathi-charge was used to disperse them," Mishra said.

While eyewitnesses alleged that two or three aspirants were injured during the lathi-charge, the SSP denied these claims, stating, "No protesters sustained any injury. Mild force was used to disperse those who tried to break the police barricade. We are registering an FIR against the protesters, and all CCTV footage is being analysed for further action." The protesters were demanding that the BPSC preliminary examination be conducted in a "one shift, one paper" format, rather than using the 'normalisation of marks' process. Normalisation equalises scores from exams held in multiple shifts using a statistical formula.

Meanwhile, Patna-based tutor and YouTuber Khan Sir expressed support for the protesters. He joined the demonstration near Gardani Bagh, a designated area for protests, and sat on dharna with the aspirants.

Khan Sir demanded that the BPSC chairman issue a statement ruling out the use of the 'normalisation process' for the examination and extend the examination date, as many aspirants faced technical issues while applying. "As long as the chairman does not issue a clarification, our dharna will continue," Khan Sir told reporters.

Reacting to allegations that Khan Sir was detained by police, the SSP told reporters that he willingly went to Gardani Bagh police station to reiterate that the agitation will continue. "Students have been on a dharna since morning and the government must look into their demands," he said.

Khan Sir, widely known for his online coaching for competitive exams, has a significant following among students.

The 70th BPSC Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination, scheduled for December 13, will recruit candidates for Group A and B posts. Around five lakh candidates are expected to appear for the exam, which will be conducted across 925 centres.

This protest follows earlier demands by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who called for clarification on the 'normalisation process' and urged the BPSC to revert to the previous exam format.

"The BPSC should conduct exams as they were previously done, without the normalisation process. The Commission should also extend the examination date," Yadav said in a statement.

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