The Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand government has accepted a major demand of protesting students by cancelling government examinations and recruitment processes linked to alleged irregularities, but the decision has failed to end the agitation. Students have maintained that their movement will continue until the state agrees to a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced that the cancellation would cover examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), including the JSSC Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examination. He also said the investigation into alleged irregularities would cover examinations conducted in the state since 2014.
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Addressing the students on Monday evening, Soren said the government had decided to cancel the results and selections associated with Lucknow-based TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL). He said the results published by the company, the candidates selected through it or participating in its processes, and activities carried out by TDPL in Jharkhand would all be cancelled.
“All the mistakes, big or small, that have occurred since 2014 will be investigated,” Soren said, adding that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) would examine all examinations conducted in the state during the period.
The Chief Minister also announced the formation of a committee to recommend reforms in the examination system. The panel will be headed by IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal and is expected to work towards preventing future irregularities and strengthening the recruitment process.
Students Insist On CBI Investigation
The government’s announcement came as the student movement entered its 24th day. The protesters have been demanding comprehensive reforms in the examination system and action against alleged irregularities involving JPSC and JSSC examinations.
The cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination has been one of their principal demands, particularly after allegations of a question paper leak surfaced in 2024.
However, student leader Ravindra Paswan said the government’s latest move was not enough to end the agitation. He said the protesters had secured an important victory but would continue their movement until the demand for a CBI investigation was accepted.
Paswan thanked the Chief Minister for responding to the students’ demands after 24 days of protests but made it clear that the CBI probe remained a central condition for ending the agitation.
At the time of the government’s announcement, student leader Devendra Nath Mahato was undergoing treatment at Sadar Hospital in Ranchi after staging a hunger strike. Ministers and MLAs visited him at the hospital, amid indications that he could soon withdraw his fast following the government’s decision.
Rahul Gandhi Had Urged Soren To Meet Students
The Jharkhand government’s decision also came hours after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged Chief Minister Hemant Soren to meet the protesting students.
In a letter dated August 14, Gandhi described the students’ demonstrations as peaceful and their demands as legitimate. He said the Congress supported the right to peaceful protest and backed students campaigning against paper leaks and irregularities in the education system.
The letter came after protesters had appealed to Gandhi to reconsider his party’s support for the Jharkhand coalition government if their concerns continued to go unaddressed. They had argued that despite Gandhi’s support for their cause, they had seen no concrete action from the state government.
With the government now agreeing to cancel the disputed examinations and initiate a probe into irregularities dating back to 2014, the students have achieved one of their major demands. However, their continued insistence on a CBI investigation means the prolonged standoff in Jharkhand is yet to reach a complete resolution.
(Inputs from NDTV)
Edited by: Moonmoon Borah
