The standoff between the Jharkhand government and protesting JPSC-JSSC aspirants intensified on Sunday.
After talks failed to break the deadlock, with student leaders refusing to withdraw their agitation without a CBI probe. The protesters have called for a massive march to the Jharkhand Assembly on August 10, with thousands of aspirants expected to take part.
The impasse continued despite several rounds of negotiations and a series of measures announced by the government, including the cancellation of the 14th JPSC examination, investigations into alleged irregularities and proposed reforms to the recruitment system.
The students, however, said the measures fell short of their key demands.
They insisted that a CBI investigation and action over alleged irregularities in the CGL and other JSSC examinations remained essential to resolving the dispute.
“We will march to the Jharkhand Assembly on August 10. We are not ready for any compromise until a CBI probe is announced,” student leaders said after meeting the government panel.
CGL EXAMINATION EMERGES AS KEY FLASHPOINT
The cancellation of the CGL examination has emerged as another major point of contention.
Jharkhand Minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu said the government had informed the protesters that it could not cancel the examination unilaterally because it had been conducted under the directions of the High Court and the Supreme Court and remained under judicial scrutiny.
The results have already been declared and successful candidates have joined government service, he said.
As an alternative, the government proposed a monitoring committee headed by a retired judge to oversee the investigation into the alleged irregularities.
The students rejected the proposal, maintaining that a probe without the involvement of the CBI, coupled with the government’s refusal to cancel the CGL examination, would not address the issues at the heart of their agitation.
GOVERNMENT CLAIMS 98% OF DEMANDS ADDRESSED
The government, meanwhile, maintained that it had accepted most of the students’ demands.
Sonu said that after three days of discussions, the government had decided to pursue a two-pronged investigation into alleged irregularities in the 14th JPSC examination and the 2023-25 backlog recruitments.
The criminal aspects would be investigated by the CID, while the government would seek an Enforcement Directorate probe into suspected illicit financial transactions, he said.
The government also proposed a fast-track court and said charge sheets against those found responsible would be filed within 90 days.
For broader recruitment reforms, a committee comprising experts from IIT-ISM, IIM Ranchi and XLRI would be constituted, Sonu said.
The minister claimed the government had addressed “98 per cent” of the issues raised by the students, arguing that the cancellation of the CGL examination remained the principal unresolved demand.
The students, however, remained firm, saying the government’s refusal to announce a CBI probe was a deal-breaker.
With talks ending without an agreement, the focus now shifts to Monday’s proposed march to the Assembly, which could further escalate the confrontation between the protesters and the state government.
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