The All India Students’ Association (AISA) and other youth organisations on Friday called on “Bihar Bandh” to protest against the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) NTPC Stage 1 exam results irregularities. Student groups have called the ministry’s move to set up a committee to investigate students’ concerns as a “hoax”.

The Ministry of Railways has announced the suspension of the Non-Technical Popular Category (NTPC) and Level 1 exams following mass protests by job seekers in Bihar and Jharkhand on Wednesday.

Protesters set fire to four bogies of a train in Gaya, Bihar state.

Here are the most important developments:

• AISA and other youth groups said in a press statement that the committee set up by the ministry was a “conspiracy” to delay the matter until elections in Uttar Pradesh.

• Despite reassurances from the government, they refuse to get caught up in what they say is a massive student youth movement and they face extreme unemployment.

• The Ministry of Railways has established a vocational committee to address issues raised by job seekers. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said the panel would submit its report by March 4.

• Postponing the NTPC exam scheduled for next month, the center has given job seekers three weeks (until February 16) to submit their concerns.

• Job seekers blocked the main New Delhi-Kolkata railway track during protests on Wednesday. The unrest also spread to border areas in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

• Bihar police said railway property was damaged in Gaya, Jehanabad, Bhagalpur, Sasaram, Samastipur and Chhapra districts. Protesters also threw rocks at police.

• Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed support for protesters on Wednesday, saying he joined them in opposing the BJP government’s policies. However, he said violence was not the answer.

• Students taking the RRB NTPC exam also staged a protest at Bihar Sharif railway station on Tuesday. They blocked the main Kolkata-New Delhi railway line at the Rajendra Nagar terminal in Patna.

• Job seekers objected to the Ministry of Railways’ decision to conduct the exam in two stages, claiming that the second stage was unfair to those who passed the first stage.

• The results of last year’s Computer-Based Test-1 (CBT-1) exam were released on January 15 for screening candidates for CBT-2.

Complete News Source : Hindustan Times