Hundreds of newly graduated engineers took to the streets in Bihar's capital on Monday, staging a major demonstration against what they call an unfair recruitment policy. The protest, held outside the Visvesvaraya Bhavan in Patna, targeted the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) and its rules for selecting Assistant Engineers.
Core of the Controversy: The 25% Experience Weightage
The agitation centers on a specific BPSC policy for the ongoing Assistant Engineer (AE) recruitment drive. As per the current rules, the final merit list is calculated by giving 75% weightage to the written examination marks and up to 25% weightage for prior contractual work experience. This experience bonus is awarded at a rate of 5 marks for each year of service, capping at a maximum of 25 marks.
Protestors, primarily fresh graduates without such experience, argue that this system creates an uneven field. They claim it practically guarantees selection for contractual employees who have already secured positions in various departments, while pushing high-scoring new candidates down the merit list.
Voices from the Protest: Allegations of Favouritism
The demonstration remained peaceful but charged, with participants chanting slogans against alleged bias in the system. Pushkar Raj, one of the protesting candidates, highlighted a critical flaw. He pointed out that contractual workers often get selected across multiple departments simultaneously. This practice, he argued, blocks opportunities for qualified fresh graduates who perform well in the written test but lack the experience marks.
Echoing this sentiment, another protestor, Shivam Kumar, described the process as one that sidelines the diligent efforts of new aspirants. The core grievance is that the significant 25% advantage for experience drastically alters the final merit order, making it extremely difficult for fresh talent to secure government engineering posts.
Demands for a Transparent and Fair System
The agitating graduates have put forth clear demands to the BPSC and the state government. Their primary call is for the complete scrapping of the 25% weightage given for contractual experience. They want selection to be based solely on performance in the written examination to ensure true meritocracy.
Additionally, they demand an end to the practice that allows contractual workers, already selected in one department, to participate and get appointed in additional departments. The protestors are also calling for greater transparency in how merit lists are prepared and how experience marks are calculated and verified.
The protestors urged the authorities to reconsider the policy to ensure a level playing field for all candidates. As of now, the BPSC has not issued any official statement addressing these specific concerns. Police officials confirmed the protest was peaceful and that the candidates dispersed from the premises after some time.
