Thousands of teacher aspirants in Bihar, preparing for government jobs, have been protesting for the past seven days against new changes introduced in BPSC TRE-4. The situation escalated when Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) Exam Controller Rajesh Kumar Singh used the proverb 'Haathi chale bazaar, kutte bhonke hazaar' (an elephant walks through the market while dogs bark thousands) during a press conference. This remark was made in response to questions regarding alleged discrepancies in the answer sheet of a candidate who secured the third rank in the 70th BPSC examination.

Students reacted strongly to Singh's statement, expressing their outrage. Protesting students recalled a previous incident where youth were called 'cockroaches,' leading to the resignation of a Union Education Minister, and warned that the secretary might face a similar fate. They asserted, "Tomorrow, these 'dogs' will become officers." RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav also condemned the remark, stating that the official should apologize and that such 'dog-cat' language is unacceptable.

Following widespread criticism, Rajesh Kumar Singh expressed regret for his statement. He clarified that his intention was not to hurt anyone's feelings and that the proverb had been misrepresented on social media. He stated, "If anyone's sentiments have been hurt by this, I express my regret."

Meanwhile, the BPSC reiterated that the fourth phase of teacher recruitment (BPSC TRE-4) will proceed in two stages (PT and Mains), a decision that students have been opposing. The commission stated that this decision was made based on suggestions received from the Economic Offenses Unit and other agencies. The application process for BPSC TRE-4 is scheduled to begin on September 1, 2026.