BPSC Teachers' recruitment exam begins today, over 8 lakh candidates throng exam centres

PATNA: The Bihar Public Service Commission Teachers' recruitment exam began on Thursday at nearly 850 centres across the state. The exam will be conducted between August 24 to 26. There are over eight lakh candidates appearing for the examination.

In Bihar, there are One lakh seventy thousand four hundred sixty one posts vacant for teacher recruitment. Nearly 850 centres have been st up across the state for the smooth conduction of the BPSC exams. In the capital Patna, there are nearly 40 exam centres.

The exams are to be conducted in two shifts. The time for the first shift is 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The second shift exam will be conducted from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Candidates from other states as well arrived at the centre following the Bihar government's decision to allow candidates from other states to take the exam. Pictures from the examination centre in Patna showed several candidates queuing at the entry gates as supervisors checked admit cards prior to permitting the candidates inside .

There are certain guidelines that the candidates must follow while appearing for the BPSC examination:

1. Article 144 has been imposed at the exam centres to ensure discipline.

2. Candidates are advised to carry an extra photo of theirs along with the admit cards.

3. Candidates should carry their valid ID proofs, for example, an Aadhaar card, PAN card, etc.

4. They are not allowed to carry electronic gadgets like phones, smart watches, etc.

5. In case of malpractice, one will be expunged from the BPSC exams for the next three years along with five years from all exams.

CCTV cameras have been installed at the exam centres which are connected to the internet. Live broadcasting can be done. In addition, mobile jammers (devices to disrupt communication between two cell phones) have been installed at the centres. Meanwhile, the decision on whether the B.Ed degree holders or Basic School Teaching Certificate (BSTC) course candidates be recruited as teachers rests with the Bihar government. In 2018, the National Council for Teachers' Education (NCTE) issued a notification allowing only B.Ed degree holders to sit for the Rajasthan Eligibility Exam for Teachers (REET) exam.

However, the Rajasthan government stood against the NCTE 's decision allowing only Basic School Teaching Certificate (BSTC) course candidates to appear for the exam. The NCTE knocked the doors of the Rajasthan High Court seeking redressal. The Rajasthan HC first upheld the NCTE's decision allowing B.Ed candidates to appear for the exam.

In 2021, the HC ruling stated that B.Ed degree holders were not eligible for level 1 teacher recruitment. However, the HC also ruled that the B.Ed. degree holders could appear for the level-2 examination. Later, the decision was challenged in the Supreme Court after which the top court upheld the decision of the Rajasthan High Court. Vineet Kumar, a BPSC candidate from Bihar's Siwan told ANI, "I have done my preparations. The rest depends on the government. I am here to give my best".

Another candidate, Neeraj Kumar from Bihar's Sitamarhi district in Bihar told ANI that he is hopeful about the examination.

"It is good that the exams are being conducted. We are hopeful that it turns out to be fruitful. However, it depends on the government", Kumar said.