Students Break Barricades During March to Bihar CM’s Residence, Water Cannons Deployed

Hundreds of BPSC aspirants clashed with police in Patna on Tuesday after breaking through barricades during a march towards Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary’s residence.

The protesters are demanding the cancellation of the 70th BPSC examination, alleging irregularities in the recruitment process. The march began around 10 am from Gandhi Maidan, where students raised slogans as they moved towards the Chief Minister’s residence. Police had barricaded the route to prevent the protesters from advancing, but the students broke through the barriers.

As the situation escalated, police used lathicharge and water cannons to disperse the protesters. Several agitators were detained during efforts to clear the area, while the protesters continued to press forward. The students have been demonstrating in Patna’s Gardanibagh area for several weeks. Their demands include a single-tier examination for BPSC-TRE 4, transparency in recruitment, BSSC recruitment exams and equal opportunities for Hindi-medium candidates.

The latest protest followed talks between student representatives and the Bihar government a day earlier. While the discussions were described as positive, the protesters decided to continue their agitation and announced the march to the Chief Minister’s residence.

Student leader Saurav Kumar said the students wanted direct talks with Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary or the Education Minister, rather than officials at lower levels.

“We want to meet Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary because the government keeps making us hold talks with junior officials, after which the matter is closed. If we are given an opportunity for talks with the Chief Minister and an official notice is issued, we are ready to end our protest,” a student leader said.

The protest also saw the participation of a farmers’ group carrying black flags over land-related issues. The CRPF was subsequently deployed at the site as tensions mounted.

Meanwhile, the Bihar government announced the launch of a monthly ‘Vidyarthi Sahyog Shivir’ (Student Support Camp) to address student grievances. The camps will be held at educational institutions on the fourth Tuesday of every month, according to Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary.

Students will also be able to submit complaints online and track their status through a dedicated portal and helpline number 1100.

The government’s initiative comes amid continued student protests across Bihar over examination and recruitment-related grievances, particularly demands for action over the 70th BPSC examination.