Protesters in Bihar seeking timely conduct of the fourth phase of the Teachers Recruitment Exam (TRE-4) on Tuesday demanded that the notification for the test be announced within 24 hours, else they "may gherao the state education minister's residence for his resignation". Several research scholars and job aspirants are protesting in Patna's Gardanibagh area over a multitude of issues, including new rules on recruitment of assistant professors and inconsistencies in the state civil services exam.
Protesters demand action against those who got jobs through corrupt practices
Moreover, they are also demanding a single-tier examination in BPSC-TRE 4, strict action against those who got jobs through corrupt practices, transparency in BSSC recruitments, and action against exam mafias.
Student leader Dilip Kumar said stated that the state government should release notification for BPSC TRE-4 exam within 24 hours. Else, they will gherao the residence of Bihar education minister seeking his resignation.
Kumud Patel has been on a hunger strike for the past 15 days
The student leader also threatened to go on a hunger strike if the demand was not met within three days. It should be noted that another protester Kumud Patel has been on a hunger strike for the past 15 days.
Another student leader Kundan Singh stated that a delegation of protesters held talks with Higher Education Minister Sanjay Singh Tiger and Additional Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar. However, both of them had "no answers to students questions", he said. He added that the Bihar government should learn from the stir at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and in Jharkhand, so that this protest does not take a larger shape.
He also went on to say that when teachers and students both are on the streets, it is clear that something is going wrong in Bihar's education policy.
Jharkhand protesting students end strike
In a major development earlier in the day, three of the six protesters, including JLKM leader Devendra Mahto, who were on hunger strike over the alleged job exam irregularities in Jharkhand, ended the fast after Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced the cancellation of all recruitment tests conducted by an outsourced agency since 2014.
The protesters added that they may take a call on withdrawing the demonstration, which entered its 25th day on Tuesday, after the state government cancelled all recruitment tests, including the JSSC-CGL exam, conducted by outsourced agency TSR Data Processing Pvt Ltd (TDPL).
In the meantime, former Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren on Tuesday congratulated the students for "clinching victory through struggle in the first phase of the movement and said heartiest congratulations to all of you on the victory through struggle in the first phase of this movement, and best wishes for a bright future.
Earlier, protesters had plans to gherao CM’s residence on August 20
Earlier, the protesters had announced plans to gherao the chief minister's residence on August 20 and appealed to students from across the state to assemble in Ranchi. Apart from this, they had also sought the CM's resignation and accused the ruling JMM-Congress alliance of failing to take concrete action on their demands.
With inputs from PTI
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