1 week ago
Bihar Teaching Aspirants Continue Patna Protests Over Recruitment Demands
Several groups are protesting in Patna for changes to government and university hiring.
Teacher-job candidates want the fourth Teacher Recruitment Examination to be announced without adding a new mains test.
They say the recruitment process has already been delayed for about two years.
The Bihar Public Service Commission announced more than 32,000 other posts, but the protesters said their main demands were still not met.
Some protesters are also unhappy about extra marks given to contractual workers in certain exams.
They want fairer and more transparent recruitment.
PhD holders want different rules for becoming assistant professors.
One protester has been fasting for 17 days, and the groups have asked senior officials to resign.
Teaching aspirants, university guest faculty and PhD holders continued protests in Patna over recruitment and appointment demands.
The Bihar Public Service Commission issued notification for more than 32,000 posts, but TRE-4 protesters said their remaining demands were unresolved.
Aspirants oppose introducing a two-tier TRE-4 examination and say the recruitment process is already delayed by about two years.
Protesters also demanded withdrawal of the 25% bonus weightage for contractual employees and regular librarian recruitment.
PhD holders sought implementation of UGC Regulation 2018, a 55-year maximum age limit and a domicile policy for assistant-professor appointments.
- Who
- Bihar teaching-job aspirants, university guest faculty and PhD holders, including student leader Dileep Kumar and hunger striker Kumud Patel.
- What
- They continued protests over TRE-4 recruitment, contractual-employee weightage, librarian vacancies and assistant-professor appointment rules.
- Where
- The protests were held in the Gardanibagh area of Patna, Bihar.
- When
- The protests continued on Thursday, with the report dated August 20; guest faculty and PhD holders had protested for more than two weeks, while Kumud Patel was on the 17th day of a hunger strike.
- Why
- The groups said their recruitment and appointment demands remained unresolved and called for transparent, timely and fair hiring processes.
Protesters' demands
Government and recruitment position
TRE-4 examination format
Protesters' demands
Aspirants oppose adding a two-tier examination with a mains stage to TRE-4, arguing that any such format should begin with TRE-5 because TRE-4 is already delayed.
Government and recruitment position
The report does not provide a detailed response from the government on the proposed TRE-4 examination format, but says the Bihar Public Service Commission issued a notification for more than 32,000 posts.
Contractual-employee weightage
Protesters' demands
Protesters call the 25% bonus weightage in Bihar Staff Selection Commission examinations unfair and want it withdrawn.
Government and recruitment position
The report does not state the government's response to the protesters' demand.
University appointments
Protesters' demands
PhD holders want UGC Regulation 2018, a 55-year maximum age limit, regularisation of assistant-professor appointments and a domicile policy, and have sought resignations of senior education officials.
Government and recruitment position
The report says Higher Education Minister Sanjay Singh Tiger and Additional Chief Secretary Dipak Kumar Singh met demonstrators about a week earlier, but it does not give their response or any announced policy decision.
Key facts
- Location
- Gardanibagh, Patna, Bihar
- TRE-4 delay
- Aspirants said the examination was delayed by about two years.
- BPSC notification
- The Bihar Public Service Commission notified recruitment for more than 32,000 posts.
- Hunger strike
- Kumud Patel was reported to be on an indefinite hunger strike for 17 days.
- Contractual bonus weightage
- Protesters demanded revocation of the 25% bonus weightage for existing contractual employees in Bihar Staff Selection Commission examinations.
- PhD holders' age-limit demand
- They sought a maximum applicant age of 55 years.
- Additional demand
- Protesters warned on Tuesday that they could gherao the state education minister's residence if TRE-4 notification was not issued.
Quotes
Dileep Kumar
Student leader of the protest
“The government should refrain from experimenting with TRE‑4 exams, which are already delayed by around two years. Even if the government wishes to conduct the two‑tier exam, including mains, for BPSC, they should do it from TRE‑5 because aspirants have already lost too much time.”
theprint.in










