Bihar jobs protests: police use water cannons in Patna

Indian students and unemployed youth clashed with police in Patna, Bihar, on Tuesday as several thousand protesters marched toward Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary's residence to demand government jobs and changes to recruitment exams.

Police used water cannons after protesters broke through security barricades, an AFP reporter saw. Local media footage showed demonstrators calling for a key recruitment exam to be cancelled and for changes to the exam format announced by the government.

Patna police superintendent Kartikeya K Sharma accused some protesters of attacking security personnel and said police would identify people involved in stone-pelting and act against them.

The protests began last week with unemployed youth demanding jobs and later expanded to calls for education reform. Choudhary said his office was listening to students and said a Student Support Camp would let students register complaints online and track their status.

The demonstrations came a month after youth-led protests in New Delhi over alleged irregularities in competitive exams led to the ouster of India's education minister. In Karnataka, members of a BJP-linked student body also protested near the state chief minister's residence on Tuesday over alleged irregularities in government job recruitment, with Press Trust of India visuals showing police removing demonstrators.