HC steps in, BPSC puts off exam for legal officers

PATNA: A day before the statewide written mains examination for the post of assistant prosecution officers (APO) was scheduled to be held, the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) on Monday announced its postponement, citing “unavoidable reasons”, even as the Patna High Court allowed a petition by a few candidates seeking inclusion of their names in the results for preliminary exams.

“The mains APO exams scheduled for August 24 and 27 have been postponed due to unavoidable reasons,” said a notification from the BPSC exam controller.

Candidates had been demanding postponement of the exam in view of floods in half the state though a relentless campaign on the social media for the last few days even as they awaited the HC’s response to their petition.

The last-minute announcement of postponement came even as hundreds of aspirants had already reached Patna between Sunday and Monday from Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi, Manipur and other states.

Meanwhile, on Monday, the HC allowed the petition of Utpal Kant and others, seeking direction to the BPSC to allow candidates 10 times the number of vacancies to appear for the mains written exams on the basis of the preliminary exam results published on April 27.

Against 553 vacancies, only 3900-odd candidates were declared to have passed preliminary exams and eligible for mains.

The candidates also prayed before the court that they be provided to examine the application of reservation roster and the mechanism adopted for deciding cut-off marks in prelims.

They also prayed that four marks be given to the candidates who attempted the four wrong questions that were later deleted and the objections of the candidates be considered.

The petitioners had prayed that the conduct of main exams be withheld till the disposal of the petition. The court had earlier asked the BPSC to file a detailed affidavit.