Jharkhand recruitment exam protest enters day 14 as students form talks panel

The agitation over alleged irregularities in Jharkhand's recruitment examinations entered its 14th day on Thursday, with six protesters continuing a hunger strike and student leaders constituting an 11-member delegation for negotiations with the state government.

However, the stand-off showed little sign of ending by late Thursday, with protest leaders claiming they had not received a formal invitation specifying when the proposed talks would take place.

The delegation, comprising eight students, two experts and a lawyer, was constituted after chief minister Hemant Soren indicated that his government was willing to engage with the protesters to find a way out of the impasse.

A five-member government panel, which is expected to include ministers Dipika Pandey Singh and Sudivya Kumar, is likely to hold discussions with representatives of the agitation.

Ranchi sub-divisional officer Kumar Rajat and additional district magistrate (Law and Order) Dhananjay Kumar visited the protest site late on Thursday and interacted with the demonstrators.

Rajat said the officials had come to speak to the protesters and check on their well-being but confirmed that no formal discussion had taken place with the delegation.

Student leader Ravindra Paswan said the administration had conveyed that the government would engage with them but had not provided a time for the meeting.

Meanwhile, leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi too assured students protesting against alleged irregularities in Jharkhand's recruitment examinations that he would extend support in addressing their concerns, a protest leader claimed on Thursday.

The Congress is a constituent of the JMM-led coalition government in Jharkhand, making Gandhi's intervention significant as the agitation entered its 13th day and six demonstrators continued their hunger strike.

Student leader Ravindra Paswan said he spoke to Gandhi over the telephone on Thursday evening and briefed him about the situation on the ground and the protesters' concerns over the recruitment process.

According to Paswan, Rahul Gandhi asked the protesters to send him details of their demands and assured them that he would raise the matter with the state government.

Paswan said he also sought clarity on the Congress' position, given its participation in the ruling coalition. He claimed he had told Gandhi about the protesters' allegations concerning an "exam mafia" and urged the party to take a firm stand on issues affecting job aspirants.

"Rahul Gandhi asked us to send him our demands. He said he was taking the matter seriously and would do whatever was within his capacity to help," Paswan told reporters.

The student leader further said the Congress should reconsider its participation in the ruling alliance if it was unable to persuade the Jharkhand government to address the protesters' demands.

The demonstrators are seeking the cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination and an independent investigation into the alleged irregularities. They have demanded either a CBI probe or an inquiry by a panel of retired High Court judges from outside Jharkhand.

The protesters are also seeking comprehensive reforms in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).

The protest began on 25 July under the banner of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch at Ranchi's Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium and has since developed into a major student-led agitation over the functioning of the state's recruitment bodies.

The protesters are seeking the cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination and an independent investigation into alleged irregularities in the recruitment process. They have demanded either a CBI investigation or a probe by a panel of retired high court judges from outside Jharkhand.

They are also calling for wider reforms in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).

Six protesters are currently on hunger strike. Five demonstrators, including two women, joined Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha leader Devendra Nath Mahto in the fast on Tuesday night.

Concerns have emerged over Mahto's health after his blood pressure and blood sugar levels reportedly fell significantly. Social activist Sonam Wangchuk, who spoke to Mahto over the phone on Wednesday, urged him to consume water to protect his health. Mahto subsequently agreed to drink water.

Wangchuk made another appeal to Soren on Thursday, urging the Chief Minister to resolve the stand-off at the earliest.

Sabita Kumari, one of the six protesters on hunger strike, accused the government of failing to address the concerns of job aspirants. Another protester, Rahul Kranti, said the controversy surrounding recruitment examinations had caused a deeper erosion of students' faith in the system.

The agitation also acquired a wider political dimension after a student leader claimed to have spoken to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the telephone. According to the protest leader, Rahul Gandhi assured him of support and said he would raise the matter with the Jharkhand government, in which the Congress is an alliance partner.

The student leader said he had also told Rahul Gandhi that the Congress should reconsider its participation in the ruling alliance if it was unable to persuade the Soren government to meet the protesters' demands.

The recruitment controversy also reached the Jharkhand Assembly on the opening day of its Monsoon Session, with opposition legislators staging a demonstration on the premises.

The state government, meanwhile, maintained that it was willing to engage with the protesters.

Soren had said on Wednesday that examination paper leaks were a problem extending beyond Jharkhand and offered dialogue with the demonstrators to resolve the stand-off.

Minister Sudivya Kumar said the government was taking the concerns raised by the students seriously and welcomed their willingness to participate in discussions, expressing hope that talks could produce a constructive outcome.

With student organisations proposing to picket the assembly on 7 and 10 August, the administration has imposed prohibitory orders within a 750-metre radius of the Assembly building from 6 to 12 August. The restrictions will remain in force between 6 am and 10 pm during the period.

Meanwhile, the CID investigation into the alleged recruitment scam has gathered pace. Nineteen people have been arrested so far, while former JPSC chairman L Khiangte has been questioned four times since 28 July, according to an official.

Despite the prospect of negotiations, protesters remained at the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium on Thursday, maintaining that the agitation would continue until the government took concrete steps on their demands.

With PTI inputs