Several injured as police stop Bihar students’ protest march

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Members of the All Bihar Students' Union take out a march against the State government over issues including paper leaks, unemployment and irregularities in recruitment, in Patna, Bihar, on August 25, 2026. | Photo Credit: PTI

A protest by students in Patna turned violent on Tuesday (August 25, 2026) when police used batons and water cannons to stop them from marching to the Bihar Chief Minister’s residence.

Protesting in Patna since August 18, the students have made various demands, including changes to the format of the Teacher Recruitment Examination (TRE), which is currently held in two rounds - preliminary and main. The students are demanding that the test be held in a single phase without negative marks. Other demands include transparency in all competitive examinations, end to alleged discrimination against Hindi-speaking candidates in exams held by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC), and a high-level independent inquiry into previous exam controversies.

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On Tuesday (August 25, 2026), hundreds of students gathered at J.P. Golambar near Gandhi Maidan to start the march toward Lok Sevak Awas, the official residence of the Chief Minister. The protesters, backed by the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), All India Students’ Association (AISA) and other student organisations, broke through the police barricades at Dak Bungalow Chowk at the heart of the city, leading to clashes with the police.

Several students as well as police personnel were injured in the scuffle, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police who suffered severe injuries in the stone-pelting by the protesters. A few girl students fainted. Due to the protest and the road blockade, vehicular movement was severely affected, leaving motorists stuck for hours. Many protesters were also detained by the police.

The escalation of the protests also came in the wake of controversial remarks made by BPSC Examination Controller Rajesh Kumar Singh on Monday (August 24, 2026) while addressing a press conference in Patna. To a question regarding the protests by students, Mr. Singh had quoted the Hindi proverb “ Hathi chale bazaar, kutta bhaunke hazar ” (focused people should ignore irrelevant criticisms). Many students had assumed that Mr. Singh had referred to protesters as “dogs”. Mr. Singh had since expressed regret, saying he had no intention to hurt anyone’s feelings and that he was quoted out of context.

On Monday (August 23, 2026), Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav met the protesting students at the venue and urged the government not to ignore voices of the protesting youth but to establish a positive dialogue with them.

“I demand that immediate and necessary steps be taken in this matter, prioritising the future of lakhs of students and youth in Bihar; otherwise, the united strength of the students and youth will compel the government to do so,” Mr.