Railways recruitment protest: Call for Bihar bandh today

Patna: All Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) parties have announced their support for a Bihar Bandh' on January 28, called by a clutch of student organisations against alleged "irregularities" in the Railway Recruitment Board's examination process.

Several students' organisations, including the All India Students Association (AISA), called for the state-wide bandh on Friday to protest against the alleged irregularities in the Railway Recruitment Board's Non-Technical Popular Categories (RRB-NTPC) exam 2021.

The protests started in the state after several students claimed that there were discrepancies in the RRB recruitment process. The government's decision to conduct two computer-based tests (CBT) for the RRB Non-Technical Popular Categories (NTPC) had irked thousands of students across the state who wanted a single test.

The results for CBT-I for Group-D jobs was released on January 14, shortlisting candidates for CBT-II. The protesters had claimed that this criterion for recruitment was clarified in the initial RRB notice inviting applicants. They said notice had spoken of only one exam.

In a joint statement issued here on Thursday, the RJD, Congress, CPI and CPI(M) said, Bihar has the most number of young people in the country and has the highest unemployment rate. Students are being cheated by the Central as well as Bihar governments.

" It keeps promising jobs for them but when they come out on the streets demanding jobs, the Nitish Kumar government rains baton on them."

All parties which form the grand alliance have decided to support the Bihar bandh call given by students union on January 28. They also demand that "all FIRs registered against students or coaching institutes by the state police must be withdrawn immediately .