Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary directed the General Administration Department to suspend Singh on Monday, August 24, hours after a video of his remarks spread across social media. The controversy added a fresh layer of tension to protests in Patna over recruitment examinations, negative marking and changes proposed for teacher recruitment.
Singh made the remark at a BPSC press conference while responding to questions concerning grievances raised by candidates and allegations surrounding the answer sheet of the candidate who secured third rank in the 70th BPSC mains examination.
He told those questioning the Commission’s handling of the matter that they could approach the courts if they believed they had evidence to support their allegations. Singh then quoted the Hindi saying, “Haathi chale bazaar, kutta bhaunke hazaar”, broadly meaning that an elephant continues through the marketplace while a thousand dogs bark.
The proverb immediately drew criticism because of the circumstances in which it was used. Protesters and social media users alleged that Singh was equating job aspirants challenging BPSC decisions with barking dogs. The comment circulated widely in video clips and became a political issue within hours.
Singh subsequently issued a video clarification, saying his words had been taken out of context. He said he had no intention of hurting the sentiments of any individual or group and expressed regret if anyone had been offended.
Rashtriya Janata Dal working president and Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav criticised the statement and demanded action against the examination controller. Yadav visited the Gardanibagh protest site, where candidates raised slogans over the remark and their wider grievances against the recruitment process.
The row erupted as BPSC sought to defend changes to its examination system. The Commission has rejected demands to eliminate negative marking from objective examinations and has decided that its examinations will be conducted in at least two stages. Officials argue that negative marking discourages random guessing and applies equally to all candidates.
Aspirants have also opposed aspects of the proposed fourth Teacher Recruitment Examination, known as TRE-4. Demonstrations at Gardanibagh have been under way since August 18, with candidates questioning the two-stage examination model and raising concerns over the treatment of Hindi-medium applicants.
BPSC has rejected allegations that Hindi-medium candidates are disadvantaged, maintaining that answers are evaluated on quality rather than the language in which they are written. The Commission has also dismissed claims that examiners are prevented from awarding marks above 60 per cent.
Another flashpoint concerns an answer sheet circulating online that was purportedly linked to the candidate who finished third in the 70th BPSC mains examination. Critics claimed the document appeared largely blank and questioned how the candidate had received high marks.
BPSC described the circulating copy as fake and displayed what it said was the original answer sheet during the press conference. Singh said the candidate had attempted Question 7 but left its sub-parts unanswered and received no marks for those portions. He argued that marks depended on the quality of answers rather than the number of pages written.
The Commission has meanwhile indicated that applications for TRE-4 will be accepted from September 1 to September 30. The examination could be conducted in December 2026 or January 2027, with a detailed schedule expected in October. Officials have said the number of examination shifts will depend on the volume of applications, while a proposal to give candidates an additional 10 to 15 minutes remains under consideration.
