BPSC TRE 4.0: Bihar teacher recruitment vacancies to be increased beyond 32,388, Education Minister promises

Vacancy Increase and Minister's Remarks

Bihar Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari announced on Sunday that the number of vacancies for the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) Teacher Recruitment Examination (TRE) 4.0 will be increased beyond the previously announced 32,388. According to Hindustan Times, Tiwari said the new vacancy details would be announced on Monday, August 24.

Speaking to PTI, the minister said there was no need for students to stage protests, pointing out that TRE-4 was announced in response to their demands. He stated, "We have already announced 32,388 seats for our candidates, and we will increase this count tomorrow. We will add more seats to TRE-4."

Tiwari also said the state government had already sent the requisition for TRE-4 to BPSC, which will decide the examination schedule. He added that BPSC follows its own established examination pattern and that the Education Department has no role in deciding exam dates. "The BPSC will announce the exam dates at any time," he said.

The minister alleged that some groups and coaching centres were attempting to prevent the examination or cancel the notification, misleading and inciting students.

According to Hindustan Times, the BPSC TRE 4.0 notification was released in August. Registration begins on September 1, 2026; the last date to apply is September 30, 2026, and the last date to pay the fee is September 29, 2026. The registration link will be available on the official BPSC website at bpsc.bih.nic.in, as reported by Hindustan Times.

Candidates recruited through TRE 4.0 will receive a starting salary ranging from ₹25,000 per month for primary teachers to ₹32,000 per month for higher secondary teachers. Aspirants appearing for STET 2026 can apply provided they qualify before final evaluation. The Bihar government plans to appoint 1 lakh school teachers over the next five years, around 20,000 per year from 2026 to 2030, as reported by Hindustan Times.

Exam Pattern and Clarifications by BPSC

The two-stage format for TRE-4 has been confirmed by BPSC Examination Controller Rajesh Kumar Singh. India Today reported that Singh said on Monday that TRE-4 will be conducted in two stages: Preliminary and Mains, both objective-based. He also clarified that no changes are being made to the exam pattern, ending speculation.

Singh said the two-stage decision was based on suggestions from the Economic Offenses Unit (EOU) and to maintain transparency. He noted that other states like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana also conduct exams in two stages. The commission's decision to follow this format aligns with recommendations from the Radhakrishnan Committee and other bodies, as mentioned in the India TV News report.

Negative marking will continue in the exam, applied equally to all candidates. The commission rejected claims that candidates appearing in Hindi and English were awarded different marks. Singh said the commission does not ask exam medium in the form, so separate data is not maintained. "If we don't have this data, where do they get it from?" he asked, as quoted in India TV News.

Regarding the rule for candidates scoring more than 60%, Singh said there is no restriction on awarding marks above this threshold. Such answer sheets are rechecked by the Head Examiner, a process meant for verification, not penalization.

The exam schedule will depend on the number of applications received. If up to five lakh candidates apply, the exam will be held in a single day; if more, it will be spread over two or three days. The TRE-4 exam date is likely to be announced in October, with the exam expected in November or December, as reported by India Today.

Assistant Engineer Case and Ongoing Protests

Regarding the Assistant Engineer case, Rajesh Kumar Singh said results cannot be released until the court case is settled, according to India TV News.

Students have been staging a protest at Patna's Gardanibagh, demanding cancellation of the 70th BPSC examination over alleged irregularities and a purported paper leak. India Today reported that the protesters are also opposing the TRE-4 process, demanding the release of the advertisement and objecting to the two-phase proposal.

During a media interaction, Singh made a remark that has drawn attention amid the protests: "Hathi chale bazaar, kutta bhaunke hazaar" (An elephant walks through the market while a thousand dogs bark). He made this comment in response to allegations of irregularities. According to India Today, Singh reportedly told media personnel to exclude his next statement from their reports before making the remark. He said that students who believed they had evidence could approach the court.

The remark has been reported by India Today as triggering a fresh row amid the ongoing student agitation. The protests at Gardanibagh continue, with students demanding cancellation of the 70th BPSC exam and raising concerns over the proposed TRE-4 changes.