A protest by students seeking changes to the BPSC TRE-4 examination process escalated in Patna after demonstrators attempted to march towards the Chief Minister’s residence. Police and CRPF personnel were deployed to stop the procession, and officers later used water cannon and lathicharge to disperse the crowd.

The students are demanding a single examination, the removal of negative marking and 100% domicile eligibility for TRE-4. They have been staging a sit-in in Gardanibagh, with the protest also affecting movement around Dakbungalow Chowk and nearby routes.

March blocked near Dakbungalow

Members of the All Bihar Student Union set out for the Chief Minister’s residence. Barricades were breached after the protesters reached JP Golambar, where police and CRPF personnel had been deployed. The march then moved towards Dakbungalow, where there was pushing and shoving between students and CRPF personnel.

Police used a water cannon to move the demonstrators. During the water spray, some protesting students were seen applying shampoo and washing themselves. The crowd also gathered on and around buses while raising slogans.

The situation became more tense after some students threw stones towards the police. Town DSP Kamakhya Narayan Singh was injured, and several other police personnel also suffered injuries, according to the report. Police then resorted to lathicharge and began chasing protesters away from the crossing.

Some students were dragged away and detained as officers attempted to clear the area. A large police and CRPF presence remained at Dakbungalow, where authorities said the situation was under control and traffic would return to normal.

Injuries and an armoured vehicle

One student suffered a head injury during the protest, while a female student fainted. An armoured vehicle was brought to the protest area. It was identified as an MPV, or Mine Protected Vehicle, a type of vehicle generally used in Naxal-affected areas.

Students said they had been sitting in protest since 13 August and that their demands had not been addressed. One student said there were no proper arrangements for bathing or food at the protest site. Students were also seen eating lunch beside the road during the demonstration.

The protesters cited the earlier TRE-1, TRE-2 and TRE-3 examinations, saying those tests were conducted as single examinations without negative marking. They want the TRE-4 process to follow the same format.

Dispute over BPSC official’s remark

The protest intensified after remarks attributed to Rajesh Kumar Singh during a press conference in Patna. Speaking about the Gardanibagh demonstration, he referred to a saying comparing an elephant moving through a market with dogs barking.

The remark angered protesting students. Following the controversy, the BPSC examination controller released a video apology. Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary directed that Rajesh Kumar Singh be suspended.

The article also refers to an earlier comparison involving a cockroach and says that the controversy had already led to the departure of a person referred to as “Pradhan ji”.

Political criticism and police response

Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav criticised the government over the lathicharge. He accused the NDA government in Bihar of maintaining an authoritarian approach towards students and said that, despite criticism and pressure from the opposition, the government had not stopped using force against protesters.

Rohini Acharya also criticised the police action in a post on X. She said the government should seek a solution through dialogue rather than suppressing the students’ movement through police action. Her remarks linked the demonstration to students’ demand for changes in the TRE-4 examination process.

CJP leader Saurabh Das described the events as evidence of a system appearing to break down. He also criticised what he called long-standing indifference, incompetence and corruption, and questioned what those in power would do next.

Patna SSP Kartikeya Sharma said the students had been persuaded to leave Dakbungalow Chowk. He said their concerns would be conveyed to the relevant officials and that traffic would become normal shortly.

Other student demonstrations

The report also says students marching from Gandhi Maidan towards Raj Bhavan over a demand to cancel the 70th BPSC examination were detained by police.

At Dakbungalow, students had been moving through Kotwali T Point towards Income Tax before police chased them away. Protesters said they were marching towards the Chief Minister’s residence because the government had not accepted their demands. Some arrived wearing chains, describing themselves as young people treated as slaves.

The Gardanibagh sit-in remains linked to the wider dispute over the TRE-4 examination process. The immediate confrontation at Dakbungalow ended with the crowd being dispersed, while police and CRPF personnel continued to remain in the area.