In the last few weeks, Jharkhand has seen a mass sit-in protest that doesn’t seem likely to halt soon, with students and job aspirants joining a hunger strike, alleging exam irregularities and paper leaks in competitive recruitment examinations.
Days after the Cockroach Janta Party-led youth agitation against NEET paper leaks was called off, students in Jharkhand had launched their own dharna on July 25 at the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in the state’s capital.
Amid widespread outrage among competitive exam aspirants, the movement intensified in August, with students organising torchlight rallies and marches to the State Assembly.
The protests are largely led by Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) Reforms Manch and Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM). Both factions have been demanding the cancellation of the 14th JPSC examination, reforms in the commission as well as in the JSSC.
They are also demanding an inquiry into exam irregularities by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or an independent panel of retired high court judges from outside the state.
What was the trigger?
The youth’s anger boiled over after the results for the 14th JPSC Preliminary Examination were declared on July 2. Candidates pointed out major problems, including the omission of category-wise cut-off marks, individual candidate scores, and official Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) answer keys.
A few weeks after the preliminary results, a carbon copy of a successful candidate’s OMR answer sheet went viral across social media. The post revealed that the candidate had qualified despite answering only 48 out of 100 questions in Paper 1, triggering allegations of OMR sheet tampering and post-exam corruption.
The agitation built on years of recurring mistakes, including the JSSC exam that was embroiled in paper leaks and cancellations, igniting the sit-in protests.
Students claim govt is whitewashing the issue
“The chief minister says the government is sensitive. It may be, but we want action and justice, not assurance,” a protester was quoted by PTI.
The protesters said the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha government was trying to “whitewash” the issue by handing over the investigation to the CID. “We have completely lost faith in the ongoing CID investigation. Earlier, the government got the JSSC-CGL paper leak probed by the CID. The agency itself found that answers to 135 of the 150 questions had been leaked and 120 questions matched the examination paper exactly,” another protester said.
Jharkhand Police’s CID has so far arrested 14 people in connection with the alleged irregularities, while the JPSC postponed the Combined Civil Services Mains Examination, scheduled from July 25 to 27, citing “unavoidable circumstances” amid mounting protests.
The CID has also questioned former JPSC chairman L Khiangte four times since July 28 and raided 18 locations across Ranchi, Palamu, Hazaribagh, Bokaro and Dhanbad as part of its probe into the alleged recruitment irregularities.
However, the protest is not just about the exam irregularities. The youth have taken to hunger strikes and weeks-long dharna to demonstrate their broader frustration with rising unemployment. Protesters highlighted systemic delays in the recruitment process and anger over the lack of permanent government positions, noting that informal sector work is not a substitute for merit-based public employment.
More join hunger strike, Wangchuk appeals to students
The number of people on hunger strike at the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium has risen to six after five more people joined the indefinite strike with Devendra Nath Mahto, a member of Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha.
Mahto had water on the fourth day of his fast upon activist Sonam Wangchuk’s request. Wangchuk, who was on a 26-day fast in Delhi over the NEET paper leak issue recently, advised Mahto to at least drink water, as his blood sugar and blood pressure levels were dropping.
Speaking to reporters before beginning his hunger strike, Mahto criticised the “lackadaisical attitude” of both state and central governments regarding alleged exam irregularities, stating it demoralises students and job aspirants, according to PTI.
Sabita Kumari, who is on hunger strike, said they were “forced” to resort to this type of protest since the government was not fulfilling their demands.
Another protester, Habiba, said, “The CM is like our guardian. When children are hungry, a guardian also feels pain. So, we hope that he will listen to our grievances and demands.”
Student groups schedule marches from Aug 6 to 10
As the demonstrations continue despite heavy rains, the JKLM has scheduled a march on August 6, and the All India Students’ Association (AISA) along with other organisations on August 7. Independent students not affiliated with any political parties, seeking to keep political interference out of the movement, have planned their own march for August 10.
Abhijeet Dipke says CJP will join protests
Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke on Wednesday said they will go to Jharkhand in support of the students protesting there.
While speaking to reporters ahead of the CJP’s core team meeting in his hometown, Dipke was questioned whether he would support the Jharkhand protests. “We will definitely go to Jharkhand, we will stand with them and support their every demand in the agitation,” he said.
The CJP founder, face of the Jantar Mantar protests in July, earlier said that he had spoken to the students protesting in Ranchi.
Jharkhand Government’s response
Amid ongoing protests, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday said that alleged recruitment exam paper leaks were not just an issue of the state but a national problem. He asserted that his government was committed to solving students’ problems.
“The concerns of my young friends are an extremely serious matter for us. The alleged paper leaks are not just an issue of Jharkhand, but these have become a major national problem for the youth of many states across the country. Our government is working on this matter with complete seriousness,” Soren wrote on X.
In one of his first remarks on the protests, the CM on Tuesday said the government was waiting for the CID report. “The government has its eyes and ears at the right place. I can’t open my heart and show,” Soren said.
“However, it’s known that I always complete any assignment that I take up. The SIT is working day and night. We are waiting for the investigation report,” he said.
The CM said that once the government acquires the findings, it will act accordingly and inform the students and the state about the resulting decisions.
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