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Bihar Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari on Tuesday said the state government had addressed the issues raised by students during the BPSC aspirants' protest and maintained that its doors remained open for dialogue, even as protesters continued to raise concerns over examination irregularities, recruitment delays and alleged paper leaks.

Government committed to resolving issues: Minister

Tiwari said the government was committed to resolving problems faced by the state's youth in a timely manner and asserted that the student agitation was not the sole reason behind the government's actions. "All the issues over which the students were staging a sit-in have been resolved. It is not as if the student agitation was the sole reason for this; it is the government's very intent to resolve the problems faced by our youth in a timely manner. We have addressed every issue raised by the youth. I was surprised to hear a person who has never even taken a board exam offering suggestions on examinations. That is why I would say to Tejashwi Yadav to enroll in a Bihar government school, pass the tenth-grade exam, and then come back to offer us suggestions on examinations," Tiwari said.

He further said that almost all demands raised by the students had been met and invited them to approach the government with any remaining concerns. "We have met almost all the students' demands. For any students who wish to convey further points to the government, the doors for dialogue remain wide open. Let the students come, talk, and get their issues resolved; the government belongs to them," he said.

Protesters voice unresolved concerns

However, protesters said that several longstanding concerns relating to Bihar's education and recruitment systems remained unresolved. Protester Vikas Bhatt said students were demanding improvements in the education system and action over repeated examination paper leaks. Speaking to ANI, Vikas said, "Our demand is that the education system in Bihar be improved. We are raising issues regarding the frequent exam paper leaks in the state. Look at the recruitment for librarians, it hasn't happened for 18 years; do you need 1,800 years? Whenever we stage a protest, they simply offer assurances and leave it at that. How can things go on like this? Three recruitment drives were announced through the BSSC, but it has been three years. We have repeatedly besieged the BSSC commission, demanding that the exam dates be announced. Despite this, they keep asking for 15 days' time. Apart from the BPSC, there isn't a single commission in Bihar that issues an annual calendar," Bhatt said.

The protest comes amid demands from students for the cancellation of the 70th BPSC examination. Students marched towards Raj Bhavan from Gandhi Maidan in Patna as part of their protest. Police used water cannons to disperse students during the march, while several protesters were detained by police as they proceeded towards Raj Bhavan.

JD(U) leader defends govt action

Meanwhile, JD(U) leader Shravan Kumar said the state government was taking the concerns of students and job seekers seriously and was acting according to established rules and legal provisions. "The government is taking the demands and concerns of students and job seekers seriously. Everything is being done for them in accordance with established rules, laws, and provisions. Bihar is the first state in the country to have made such large-scale recruitments across government departments," Kumar said.

He also highlighted the government's employment target for the 2025-2030 period and urged young people not to be influenced by the Opposition. "It is Nitish Kumar's resolve to provide 10 million (1 crore) jobs and employment opportunities to the people of Bihar between 2025 and 2030. Recruitments are taking place in every sector, and vacancies are being announced in every department. I urge our youth to exercise patience and not fall for the Opposition's ploys; they are not going to provide jobs. They merely intend to exploit your hard work and sweat to further their own political interests. Beware of them," he added.

Specific Demands of the Agitation

The students in Bihar are staging a protest and demanding the cancellation of the 70th BPSC examination over alleged irregularities and paper leaks. The agitation has also centred on the proposed Teacher Recruitment Examination - Fourth Phase (TRE-4) process, with the students objecting to the proposal of conducting the TRE-4 exams in two phases across the state while demanding the release of the official TRE-4 advertisement. (ANI)