JPSC-JSSC Row: Govt Agrees to Key Student Demands, but Deadlock Continues Over Probe and Reforms

Ranchi: The Jharkhand government has agreed to several key demands raised by student groups protesting alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC examinations, but a final breakthrough to end the agitation remained elusive after the latest round of dialogue. While the government placed a series of proposals before student representatives, the students have not yet reached a consensus on whether to accept them and call off the protest.

According to the points that emerged from the meeting, the government has agreed to investigate alleged financial transactions linked to the examination irregularities through the Enforcement Directorate (ED). It has also proposed cancelling three examinations at this stage, including the JPSC Backlog 2023, JPSC Backlog 2025 and the 14th JPSC Preliminary Examination.

Another major assurance from the government is that all examinations conducted by TDPL, the agency at the centre of the controversy, will be investigated. The government has also proposed taking the assistance of premier institutions such as IIM and XISS for reforms in the examination systems and procedures of JPSC and JSSC.

However, student representatives have not accepted the government's proposals in their present form. They said several of their concerns have been acknowledged, but discussions are still continuing among different student representatives. A final decision on the future course of the agitation will be taken only after all representatives arrive at a common position.

The students' demands go beyond the proposals placed by the government. They are seeking cancellation of the 14th JPSC Preliminary Examination and the backlog examinations, along with an investigation into all examinations conducted through TDPL. They have also demanded that the investigation be completed within a maximum period of 90 days.

Another major point of disagreement concerns the nature of the investigation. While the government has proposed an ED probe into alleged financial transactions, students are demanding a judicial inquiry, instead of relying solely on the CID or CBI, into the alleged examination irregularities. They also want a separate committee to be constituted for comprehensive reforms in the JPSC and JSSC examination systems.

Student representatives said the government has accepted some important issues, but the movement cannot be called off until all demands are discussed and an agreement is reached. "Some issues have been accepted by the government, but representatives are still discussing the remaining demands. If all representatives agree, the agitation will end; otherwise, the movement will continue," the students said.

With both sides making some concessions but remaining divided over the scope and mechanism of the proposed investigations and reforms, the talks have opened a possible route towards a settlement but have not yet ended the prolonged JPSC-JSSC student agitation.

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