Jharkhand exam row: Students to march to Assembly as talks with govt remain inconclusive
PTC News Desk: Students protesting alleged irregularities in government recruitment examinations in Jharkhand will march towards the state Assembly on Monday after talks with the Hemant Soren-led government failed to resolve the issue on Sunday.
The main dispute is over the students’ demand for a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities in recruitment exams and the cancellation of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examination. The government has rejected these demands.
The protesters said they would continue with the Assembly march despite appeals from Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar to resume negotiations. Security has been strengthened across Ranchi ahead of the protest.
Students List Key Demands
According to protest leaders, their main demands include:
The leaders have appealed to students to remain peaceful and united during the march. They have also asked protesters not to block traffic, avoid confrontation with police, report any disorder and verify information instead of spreading rumours.
Hunger Strike Enters Eighth Day
Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on hunger strike for eight days, urged students and their parents across Jharkhand to participate in Monday’s march. He described August 10 as an important day for the movement.
Mahto said repeated paper leaks had created difficulties for students seeking government jobs. He claimed he had lost 10 kg, experienced low blood sugar and was suffering from severe pain during the hunger strike. However, he said the distress caused by alleged paper leaks and students being denied employment was greater than his physical suffering.
He asked protesters to assemble at the Old Assembly Ground at 10:30 am before marching towards the Assembly. The protest in Ranchi has entered its 17th day, with six students currently on an indefinite hunger strike.
Students Reject Government's 98% Claim
The students have also rejected the government's claim that it has accepted 98 per cent of their demands. Protest leaders said the claim does not reflect what was actually agreed during negotiations.
According to a student leader, the government agreed to cancel only three of the 13 examinations for which the protesters had sought cancellation.
With no agreement reached, students have decided to proceed with Monday's Assembly march, keeping the pressure on the state government over recruitment examination reforms and alleged paper leaks.
- With inputs from agencies
