The ongoing protest by Jharkhand students over alleged irregularities in the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) Preliminary Examination has entered its 13th day, with the agitation gaining momentum in Ranchi. Hundreds of aspirants continue to stage an indefinite sit-in at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, demanding transparency in the recruitment process and a fair investigation into the allegations.
The demonstrations began after the JPSC Preliminary Examination results were declared on July 5. Since then, students have maintained a round-the-clock protest, alleging irregularities in the recruitment process and seeking accountability from the state government.
Government opens dialogue, students seek transparency
As the protest gathered strength, the Hemant Soren government initiated efforts to engage with the agitating students. On Wednesday, Ranchi Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Kumar Rajat visited the protest site and informed the demonstrators that the government was ready to hold discussions.
He asked the protesters to nominate a delegation of five to seven representatives, assuring them that every concern would be discussed and that the government wanted to resolve the issue through dialogue.
The state government has also formed a committee of ministers and officials for the talks. Rajat said complaints related to the recruitment examination were already being investigated and that the agencies concerned were acting with urgency.
The students, however, declined the proposal for closed-door discussions. They insisted that any meeting with the government should take place in the presence of the media and cameras to ensure complete transparency.
Student leader Devendra Mahato, who has been on a hunger strike for the last five days, said on Thursday that representatives would be nominated for the talks. At the same time, he made it clear that the hunger strike and protest would continue until the students' demands are fulfilled.
CID arrests continue in recruitment probe
The recruitment controversy has also seen fresh action from investigators. The CID on Wednesday arrested Rakshak Singh, an accountant with TDPL, the agency that conducted the examination. Singh, who was taken into custody from Lucknow and brought to Ranchi, was part of the examination process and had also qualified the JPSC Preliminary Test himself.
Five more people have also been arrested in connection with the case, taking the total number of arrests to 20. The probe is being carried out by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is examining digital records, application logs and other documents linked to the alleged irregularities.
Political reactions intensify
The protest has drawn political attention beyond Jharkhand. Cockroach Janta Party founder (CJP) Abhijeet Dipke announced support for the students, saying the movement would function as a "pressure group" to push for institutional accountability. He also said party members would travel to Jharkhand to join the agitation.
Meanwhile, the BJP criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for not commenting on the issue. BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said, "Rahul Gandhi's silence on the Jharkhand students' agitation is criminal. The Congress and Rahul Gandhi are silent because it is their government in the state. They don't care about the sons and daughters of Jharkhand who are protesting. Why have Rahul Gandhi and Hemant Soren not spoken to the students?"
Responding to the criticism, Jharkhand Minister Irfan Ansari said, "The Chief Minister has constituted the committee... We have opened the door for dialogue. Talks will take place. We will listen to the students' demands, and if they are reasonable, we will certainly accept them. They are our students, our children."