PATNA: Smarter after Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant’s “cockroach” comment, the BJP-ruled Bihar govt on Monday ordered suspension of Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) examination controller Rajesh Kumar Singh hours after he used the proverb “Haathi chale bazaar, kutte bhoke hazaar” while responding to questions about protests by Teacher Recruitment Exam 4 (TRE-4) and other recruitment aspirants at Patna’s Gardanibagh.Singh’s remark came at a news conference where he addressed grievances raised by candidates. Asked about the demonstrations, he dismissed the protests by quoting the proverb, which translates to the elephant walking through the market while thousands of dogs bark. The govt quickly directed the general administration department (GAD) to suspend him.The action came against the backdrop of a recent youth protest triggered by CJI’s “cockroach” comment on youths.A large number of BPSC aspirants are protesting at Gardanibagh over various demands, including opposition to the PT and Mains system and removal of negative marking.BPSC officials said TRE-4.0 could be held in Dec or Jan in two stages — PT and Mains — with negative marking.Speaking at the commission’s conference hall in the presence of its secretary Hemant Kumar Singh, Rajesh displayed the original answer sheet and said a fake copy was being circulated to defame the commission. He said the allegations against the commission were baseless and answer sheets would be made available to candidates through their respective IDs.On the two-stage examination system, Rajesh said, “Bihar is not the first state to conduct examinations in two stages. UPSC, UPPCS and several other states also conduct their examinations in two to three stages. The candidates who qualify through such a system are selected on the basis of their academic preparation and ability.”He said applications would be accepted from Sept 1 to Sept 30, 2026, while the examination could be held in Dec or Jan. The schedule is likely to be announced in Oct.On the demand for a domicile policy, Rajesh said the state govt would decide whether to extend its benefits as the commission had no role in the matter.He said, “Around 72% of candidates appearing in BPSC examinations are from Bihar itself. The system has now changed completely and candidates will receive good marks based on the quality of their answers.”
