Jharkhand Students to March Towards Assembly Today After Talks With Government Fail

Jharkhand Students to March on Assembly as Recruitment Exam Row Remains Unresolved

Students protesting alleged irregularities in government recruitment examinations in Jharkhand will march towards the state Assembly on Monday after talks with the government failed to resolve the key differences.

The standoff centres on demands for a CBI probe into alleged examination irregularities, cancellation of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examination, and reforms to the recruitment process. The government has rejected the demand for a CBI investigation.

Despite appeals from Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar to continue dialogue, protest leaders said the Assembly march would go ahead. Security has been strengthened across Ranchi ahead of the demonstration.

Student leader Sanjay Mehta said the protesters would march peacefully from the Old Assembly Ground towards the new Assembly building. He said the movement would continue until their major demands were addressed.

The protesters have also demanded implementation of an examination reform model proposed by them and adherence to a fixed recruitment calendar. Leaders have urged participants to remain peaceful, avoid confrontation with police and not disrupt public movement.

Student Leader Calls August 10 a Decisive Day

Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on hunger strike for eight days, appealed to students and parents across Jharkhand to participate in the Assembly march.

Mahto described August 10 as a decisive day for the movement and urged protesters to gather at the Old Assembly Ground at 10.30 am before marching towards the Assembly.

The Ranchi agitation has entered its 17th day, with six students reportedly continuing an indefinite hunger strike. Protesters have rejected the government’s claim that it has accepted 98 per cent of their demands.

Student leaders contend that the government agreed to cancel only three of the 13 examinations whose cancellation they had sought.

Government Says Most Demands Accepted

The JMM-led state government maintains that it has accepted most of the students’ demands and has urged them to end the agitation and return to negotiations.

Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar said the government had no intention of protecting anyone involved in examination irregularities.

The government said it had agreed to cancel the 14th JPSC examination and proposed an Enforcement Directorate probe into alleged financial irregularities linked to the JPSC examination.

It has also proposed a fast-track mechanism to ensure that charge sheets in examination-related irregularity cases are filed within 90 days.

For wider examination reforms, the government has proposed an expert panel involving IIT-ISM Dhanbad, IIM Ranchi and XLRI Jamshedpur. A separate committee headed by a retired High Court judge has been proposed to examine the JSSC-CGL issue.

The state has also launched a portal to collect students’ suggestions on examination reforms and said it would introduce a standard operating procedure aimed at improving transparency in future recruitment examinations.

However, the government has rejected the demand for a CBI probe into the JSSC-CGL examination, citing the monitoring of the examination by the High Court and Supreme Court.

Soren, Governor Appeal for Dialogue

Chief Minister Hemant Soren has assured protesting students that those responsible for examination irregularities will face strict action and that the matter will be handled transparently.

Soren also urged students not to allow the agitation to be politicised and cautioned them against being influenced by political interests.

Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar separately appealed to the protesters to resolve the dispute through dialogue, saying the government’s doors remained open.

The government panel also met Mahto and appealed to him to end his hunger strike as his health condition deteriorated.

Three JPSC Members Resign

Amid the ongoing controversy, three Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) members resigned on Sunday.

Governor Gangwar accepted the resignations of Ajeeta Bhattacharya, Anima Hansda and Jamal Ahmad, according to a statement from Lok Bhavan.

The resignations came after the Jharkhand CID summoned the three members for questioning in connection with allegations including examination paper leaks.

JPSC chairman L Khiangte had resigned on July 22. Officials said 19 people have so far been arrested in connection with alleged irregularities in JPSC examinations.

The CID has questioned Khiangte several times since July 28. He resigned shortly before investigators searched multiple locations, including his official residence.

The JPSC had earlier postponed the Combined Civil Services Mains Examination scheduled from July 25 to 27, citing unavoidable circumstances amid the protests.

Security Tightened Across Ranchi

Jharkhand Police has deployed additional forces across Ranchi and imposed prohibitory orders around the Assembly ahead of Monday’s march.

Additional Director General of Police Manoj Kaushik urged students to maintain the peaceful character of the agitation and prevent troublemakers from joining the demonstration.

Ranchi SSP Rakesh Ranjan said barricades had been installed at key locations and adequate police personnel deployed across the city.

A prohibitory order is in force within a 750-metre radius of the Vidhan Sabha from August 6 to August 12, between 6 am and 10 pm. Similar restrictions were imposed in Jamshedpur ahead of the planned protest.

The district administration has appealed to students to avoid aggressive demonstrations, violence and unlawful activities. The government has also assured that students would not be harassed during the protest.

Most schools are expected to remain closed on Monday due to the planned agitation. Protesters, meanwhile, have alleged that students travelling to Ranchi from different parts of the state are being stopped by police from reaching the capital.