Police in India’s eastern state of Bihar used water cannons and detained dozens of protesters on August 25 as demonstrators attempted to march toward the governor’s residence.
The protesters were demanding the cancellation of a civil services recruitment examination over allegations that test question papers had been leaked and that other irregularities had occurred.
The Bihar Public Service Commission examination is a highly competitive state-level test used to recruit officials for the state administration. Protesters say alleged leaks and irregularities have raised serious concerns about the fairness and credibility of the recruitment process.
The confrontation comes amid wider anger among students and job seekers in India over alleged irregularities in government recruitment examinations. Earlier this month, thousands of young protesters in Jharkhand also faced water cannons during demonstrations over alleged exam misconduct and paper leaks.
The latest protests have renewed calls for greater transparency, accountability and stronger safeguards to prevent examination papers from being leaked.
