Bihar: BPSC 69th Mains Exam Results Announced After Month-Long Delay Due to Reservation Changes

Patna: The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) has finally released the results of the Combined BPSC 69th Mains Exam, with 1,295 candidates successfully clearing the examination. The announcement, however, comes a month later than originally scheduled, due to a significant change in the reservation status of the Tanti-Tatva caste.

Originally slated for release on 31 July 2024, the results were delayed after the Supreme Court’s decision to reclassify the Tanti-Tatva caste from the Scheduled Castes (SC) category to the Extremely Backward Classes (EBC) category. This ruling required the BPSC to reassess and reprocess the exam results, leading to the 30-day postponement.

A total of 4,480 candidates appeared for the BPSC 69th Mains Exam, out of which 1,295 have passed. Among them, 1,005 candidates have qualified for civil services positions, while 262 candidates are set to become Financial Administrative Officers. Additionally, 27 candidates have cleared the exam for the Child Development Project Officer post, and one candidate has qualified for the position of Deputy Superintendent of Police (Technical). Earlier, 5,299 candidates had successfully passed the BPSC 69th preliminary examination.

The BPSC 69th Combined Preliminary Examination, held on 30 September 2023, included posts such as Child Development Project Officer and Deputy Superintendent of Police (Technical). Experts note that this combined approach by the commission saved candidates time, as they were able to apply for multiple positions through a single exam process.

The delay in announcing the results can be traced back to the Bihar government’s decision in 2015, which granted SC status to the Tanti-Tatva caste. Since then, candidates from this caste had benefited from SC quota reservations in government jobs. However, the decision was challenged by the Bhimrao Ambedkar Vichar Manch, leading to a legal battle that ultimately reached the Supreme Court.

On 15 July 2024, the Supreme Court ruled to exclude the Tanti-Tatva caste from the SC category, instead placing it under the EBC category. Following this ruling, the Bihar government issued a gazette notification on 12 August, and the BPSC subsequently directed all Tanti-Tatva candidates to update their online applications accordingly. As a result, the commission had to reprocess the exam results under the new classification, leading to the delayed announcement on 31 August.

The reclassification of the Tanti-Tatva caste has had significant implications beyond the BPSC exam. Candidates who had previously qualified under the SC category now find their results declared under the EBC category, causing confusion and concern among the affected candidates.

Experts in the field suggest that the delay highlights the challenges posed by the state government’s recent decisions on reservation policies, including attempts to increase the overall reservation cap from 50% to 65%, which was ultimately struck down by the High Court. The Supreme Court upheld this decision, further complicating the situation for both government institutions and candidates alike.

As the successful candidates now prepare for the interview phase, the repercussions of these legal and administrative changes continue to be felt across Bihar’s public service examination landscape.