The protests by young people in Bihar show how strongly government jobs are seen as a route to a stable career. Students have been protesting over BPSC recruitment and other government examinations, raising concerns about exams, vacancies and the recruitment process.
The competition for BPSC jobs is high. In the 67th BPSC CCE, around 4.8 lakh candidates appeared for 802 posts. In the 68th, 2.6 lakh appeared for 324 posts, while the 69th saw around 1.9 lakh candidates for 475 posts. The 70th had 3.3 lakh candidates for 2,035 posts. In the latest 71st CCE, 3.2 lakh candidates appeared for 1,298 posts.