Mon, August 10, 2026
The agitation by Jharkhand students over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations intensified on Monday as thousands of protesters marched towards the state Assembly, while several BJP leaders, including former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi and state president Aditya Sahu, were detained during a demonstration outside Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s residence.
The protest, being held under the banner of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, entered its 17th consecutive day. A large number of students assembled at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi before setting out towards the Assembly. Many protesters were seen wearing T-shirts marked “VOLUNTEER”.
The students are demanding the cancellation of several recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), along with a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged irregularities.
JPSC protest leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike, also joined the march. He travelled towards the Assembly in an ambulance and was later seen being carried on a stretcher by supporters as the protest continued.
The latest march followed several rounds of discussions between representatives of student organisations and a government-appointed panel. However, the talks failed to convince the protesters to withdraw their agitation.
A student protester told IANS that the movement would continue through peaceful means.
“The government is doing what it has to do, and our responsibility is to raise our voice through peaceful protests. Just as we stood united at Jantar Mantar and compelled them to take action, we will continue our efforts here as well. We have adopted the Gandhian path and will continue to follow it,” the student said.
The protester added that although the government had reportedly agreed to some of the demands, the major issues remained unresolved.
Another student said the protesters would not be deterred by the police presence.
“The police have tried to stop us, but we will not stop our protest. We will continue our agitation until our demands are fulfilled,” the student said.
Another protester said the march was being conducted in a peaceful and democratic manner, while reiterating the demand for cancellation of the Jharkhand CGL examination and a CBI investigation.
“We will definitely move forward, but we will do so peacefully and democratically. Our key demands, including the cancellation of the Jharkhand CGL examination and a CBI inquiry, remain unchanged. We will not settle for anything less,” the protester said.
Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) MLA Jairam Kumar Mahato also extended his support to the protesting students and criticised the state government's handling of the issue.
“This is a failure of the government. It should have accepted the demand for the cancellation of the examination. While the government has accepted several demands and deserves credit for that, the most important issue is the JSSC-CGL examination, where the maximum irregularities allegedly occurred,” Mahato said.
As the march progressed, student demonstrators breached police barricades near the Old Assembly building and continued towards the New Assembly complex. Police had deployed additional personnel at several locations in Ranchi to prevent any law-and-order situation.
The political temperature also rose during the day, with BJP leaders staging a demonstration outside Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s residence over the alleged recruitment examination irregularities. Former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi and BJP state president Aditya Sahu were among those detained by the police.
The issue has intensified further following the resignation of all three members of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission on Sunday. According to an official statement issued by Lok Bhavan, Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar accepted their resignations following a recommendation from the state government.
Pressure on the government has also increased after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) in connection with the alleged irregularities in JPSC examinations.
The state government has maintained that it has accepted around 98 per cent of the students’ demands and has appealed to them to end the agitation. The protesters, however, dispute this claim, saying that only three of the 13 examinations they wanted cancelled have actually been scrapped.
JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch leader Ravindra Paswan said the students would remain firm on their demand for a CBI investigation. Six protesters are also continuing their indefinite hunger strike.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren had earlier assured the protesting students that strict action would be taken against anyone found responsible for irregularities in recruitment examinations.
Despite the government's assurances and several rounds of talks, the students have continued their agitation, leaving the standoff between the protesters and the state government unresolved.
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