BPSC cancels Bihar civil services exam after paper leak, seeks cyber cell probe

PATNA: The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) on Sunday cancelled the 67th Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination conducted to recruit civil servants to the state against the backdrop of mounting pressure from the opposition parties.

The commission chairman RK Mahajan had constituted a three-member inquiry to probe the paper leak after the question papers turned up on social media even as the examination was on. The panel was given 24 hours to submit its first report. But a few hours later, the commission announced that the panel has submitted its report and announced the cancellation.

BPSC said the exam conducted at 1,083 centres across the state has been cancelled and the Bihar Police requested to get the alleged paper leak examined by its cyber cell.

“The BPSC name should be changed to ‘Bihar Lok Paper Leak Ayog’ for playing with the life of crores of youth and candidates,” tweeted Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav. Other leaders also joined him.

PATNA: The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) on Sunday cancelled the 67th Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination conducted to recruit civil servants to the state against the backdrop of mounting pressure from the opposition parties.

The commission chairman RK Mahajan had constituted a three-member inquiry to probe the paper leak after the question papers turned up on social media even as the examination was on. The panel was given 24 hours to submit its first report. But a few hours later, the commission announced that the panel has submitted its report and announced the cancellation.

BPSC said the exam conducted at 1,083 centres across the state has been cancelled and the Bihar Police requested to get the alleged paper leak examined by its cyber cell.

“The BPSC name should be changed to ‘Bihar Lok Paper Leak Ayog’ for playing with the life of crores of youth and candidates,” tweeted Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav. Other leaders also joined him.

Over six lakh candidates applied for Sunday’s first stage examination that was meant to shortlist aspirants for 802 posts in Bihar’s civil services. The candidates had to be at least graduates and over the age of 20 to apply.

Those who cleared the preliminary examination would have been eligible to appear for the second round of examinations held to recruit middle-rung officials such as deputy superintendent of police, sub-divisional officers, block development officers and state revenue officers.

BPSC secretary Juit Singh, who led the three-member probe panel, earlier said it appeared that the question paper of Set C may have leaked from one exam centre about half an hour before the three-hour-long examination was to start at 12 noon.

“The commission was informed about question paper leak and reports of it getting viral around 12.06 pm through WhatsApp by a TV channel and the exam had commenced by then,” Singh said earlier in the day.

A senior official said the leak of one set of question papers was verified and found to be true. “But once the leak was established, there was only one option left – to cancel the leak exam,” the official said, adding now the cyber cell would get to the bottom of the matter and identify the culprits.