- Recently, papers of preliminary examination of BPSC were leaked on social media, allegedly by people working in the system
- Under Nitish Kumar, Bihar has become a hub of paper leaks as there is rarely any examination which doesn’t come under this
- Bihar is suffering the most from internal brain-drain and these kinds of incidents are main reasons behind the phenomenon
When Nitish Kumar came to power in 2005, the people of the state expected him to bring in ‘Sushasan’. The most important catalysts of any idea of this kind are always going to be efficient administrative officers. But, in 17 years, Nitish Kumar failed on this basic front as well. BPSC leaks have again exposed his government’s failures.
BPSC paper leaked
On 8th May 2022, over Six lakh students from all over India appeared for the 67th Combined Preliminary Examination of BPSC. The examination was conducted for hiring 802 candidates to handle administration of various departments coming under the Bihar government. Suddenly, news from an examination centre in Arrah district broke the dreams of these candidates.
At one of the examination centres in Veer Kunwar Singh University, a few students observed that a bunch of candidates were already writing answers. Apparently, the paper was systematically leaked to them 15 minutes before the examination. Moreover, students also observed that these candidates were sitting in a separate room with leaked question papers. Allegedly, administration was enabling them in solving these papers by providing a carefree environment.
Read more: So much for the much advertised Sushasan – NCRB data proves that Bihar is still living in Jungleraj
Administration takes swift action
As soon as genuine students sniffed malfeasance, they started protesting. Soon, the images of the full question paper started to circulate on social media, especially on Whatsapp and its parent Facebook. Later, when the matter came to the notice of BPSC, it formed a 3 member committee and directed it to submit the report about veracity of leakage within 24 hours. It submitted its report in 3 hours after which BPSC decided to cancel the exam altogether.
Meanwhile, Police force has constituted a 12-member team to investigate the paper leak scandal. It will be headed by Sushil Kumar, Superintendent of Police of the Economic Offence Wing (EOW). The team has started its investigation and an FIR has been registered in the matter.
This is hardly the first time such a scandal has hit the state. Bihar is now infamous for mass forgery, paper leaks, delayed examinations, dilapidated University education among others.
BSEB board exams’ forgery
In February this year, a Mathematics paper of Class 10th State Board examination was found circulating among students before the BSEB exam. Though Police could not nab anyone, Bihar School Examination Board decided to reconduct Maths paper in March. Similarly, in 2021 Matriculation examinations, 3 people were arrested for leaking question papers of the 2021 examination of Social Science.
Upto this date, the biggest scandal in the BSEB board examination took place under Nitish Kumar government as well. The 2016 BSEB scandal is still not a distant memory for everyone. The officially declared toppers of class 12th examination could not answer even the basic question related to her subject. Arts Topper Ruby Rai pronouncing Political Science as Prodigal Science is probably the lowest moment in Bihar’s education history.
Read more: Bihar Topper Scam: Why arrest Ruby Rai?
NEET and BSSC conundrum
In recent years, Bihar has emerged as a hub of NEET paper leaks. In 2017, 5 people were held for trying to leak the NEET papers in the state. In 2020, Patna Police apprehended a solver gang which used to solve the leaked question papers.
One exam which is constantly the talk of town in Bihar is that of the BSSC 2013 paper. BSSC released a notification for recruiting eligible candidates in 2013. The prelims paper was conducted in 2017, 4 years after the notification was released. The paper was leaked and hence the exam was cancelled. A few years later, Prelims were reconducted. Amidst rumours of leaked paper, results were announced and then Mains was conducted. Even to this date, the final result is not published.
The state housing Nalanda University is in shambles
Moreover, the state of education at the University level (especially state Universities) is in shambles, to say the least. Students in the state have now adjusted to the grim reality of not getting their degrees on time. BRABU in Muzaffarpur takes 4 years to publish the results of a 3-year degree course. Similarly, Jai Prakash Narayan University of Chhapra takes 6 years for the very process. Magadh University is also on the same lines. It’s hard to claim that the same state once housed Nalanda University, the cradle of education in the world.
If India is known as the biggest sufferer of Brain drain on a global level, then in domestic terms, Bihar is way ahead of any other state. India has benefited most from Bihari brains. Alas! They could not use it to develop their own states. With the BPSC paper leak, the reasons for this intra-nation brain drain are crystal clear than ever.