On December 25, Patna police lathi-charged students protesting against the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC). The students had gathered to “gherao” the BPSC office, demanding a re-examination. This protest followed a demonstration on December 18, where candidates expressed dissatisfaction with the changes in the BPSC exam pattern. The students had earlier protested against the introduction of the normalization process and changes in the exam structure. They were asking for exams to be held in a single shift with one paper, to avoid the complications of normalization. The police chased and beat the students during the protest, leading to further unrest.