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The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) took the decisive step of cancelling the 70th combined competitive preliminary exam (CCE PT) held at the Bapu Exam Centre (BEC) in Patna on December 13th. This action, announced by BPSC chairman Parmar Ravi Manubhai, was a direct response to the significant disruption and chaos caused by a group of miscreants who infiltrated the examination center. The chairman explicitly stated that the decision was made to safeguard the interests of honest candidates who were negatively impacted by the unruly behavior. The scale of the disruption was substantial enough to necessitate the cancellation of the entire BEC exam, impacting approximately 12,000 candidates who will now have to sit a re-examination at a date to be announced. This decision underscores the BPSC's commitment to maintaining the integrity of its examinations and ensuring a fair assessment process for all participants.
The events of December 13th involved more than simple disturbances. According to the BPSC chairman, a group of individuals, posing as examinees, intentionally created a scene of disorder, aiming to disrupt the exam and potentially cause its cancellation. Video footage has apparently captured some candidates engaged in suspicious activities, including the snatching of question papers and the dissemination of misinformation regarding a potential paper leak. The commission has identified 20-25 individuals implicated in this activity and is initiating an inquiry to determine the extent of their wrongdoing. Depending on the findings of this inquiry, these individuals face potential debarment from future BPSC examinations. This proactive approach demonstrates the commission's determination to identify and address instances of cheating and misconduct, ensuring that the examination system remains credible and trustworthy.
The BPSC's response highlights a careful balancing act. While acknowledging the significant disruption at the BEC, the commission chose not to cancel the entire PT exam, recognizing the impact on the tens of thousands of candidates who sat the exam at other centers without incident. The commission received no complaints from any other examination centers across the state, demonstrating that the problem was isolated to the BEC in Patna. This decision underlines a commitment to minimizing disruption and unfairness to the majority of candidates, ensuring that only those directly affected by the incident at the BEC would need to undertake a retest. By implementing a targeted retest for only those affected by the disruption, the BPSC aims to avoid unnecessary anxiety and stress among the vast majority of candidates who participated honestly and diligently in the exam.
The cancellation of the exam at BEC also raises concerns about security protocols during high-stakes examinations. The ease with which a relatively small group of individuals were able to create such significant disruption suggests potential weaknesses in security measures. The BPSC may need to review its security protocols, particularly at large-scale examination centers, to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. This includes not just physical security, but also measures to detect and prevent the spread of misinformation about potential paper leaks, which clearly played a role in the events of December 13th. Further investigation will likely explore these issues to strengthen the exam's integrity and security.
Finally, the BPSC's decision to declare the results of all candidates simultaneously, without normalization, underscores a commitment to fairness and transparency. Given that only one set of question papers was used, the commission determined that normalization was unnecessary and would not provide a fair solution. This decision further reinforces the message that the BPSC is committed to upholding the integrity of the examination process, even in the face of significant challenges and disruptions. The upcoming retest will be a crucial opportunity to reaffirm this commitment and demonstrate the commission’s resolve to provide a secure and fair assessment for all participating candidates. The announcement of the new examination date is highly anticipated by the affected candidates and the public alike.
Source: BPSC cancels prelims exam of Bapu Exam Centre in Patna