Jharkhand student stir enters 16th day as talks fail, hunger strike deepens

The student agitation in Jharkhand’s Ranchi entered its 16th day on Sunday, with the standoff between protesting aspirants and the state government showing no signs of easing after a second round of talks ended without a breakthrough.

The students have been camping at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium since alleged irregularities surfaced in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission’s (JPSC) 14th Civil Services Preliminary Examination on 2 July. They are demanding cancellation of the examination, an impartial probe into the alleged irregularities and greater transparency in future recruitment processes.

The prolonged protest has also taken a toll on several student leaders observing hunger strikes. Devendra Nath Mahato, who has been on hunger strike since 2 August, saw his health deteriorate late Saturday night after his blood sugar levels dropped sharply.

A team of doctors reached the protest site and administered saline to Mahato as a precautionary measure. He later said his condition had improved slightly but remained firm that he would continue the hunger strike until the students’ demands were addressed.

Student leader Chandan accused the police and administration of attempting to remove protesters from the site during the night, saying the students would not abandon their demand for justice.

Another hunger striker, Prem Nayak, said he was on the sixth day of his fast and accused the government of repeatedly calling student representatives for talks without addressing their core demands.

The agitation, students say, goes beyond the disputed examination and concerns the wider future of young people seeking government employment. Student leader Mahendra Prasad Mandal said the movement was aimed at ensuring that recruitment irregularities do not deprive future generations of fair opportunities.

Mandal also said students were planning a protest march to the assembly on 10 August, signalling that the agitation could intensify if the deadlock continues.

The latest impasse follows a first round of discussions on Friday between a five-member government delegation and a 10-member student delegation. Students presented their demands and sought clear responses from the government.

However, the second round of talks on Saturday again failed to bridge the divide, with neither side reaching an agreement that could persuade the students to call off their protest.

The students maintain that the alleged irregularities in the JPSC examination warrant its cancellation, along with an independent investigation into the recruitment process and stronger safeguards to ensure transparency in future examinations.

For now, the protest continues, with the government facing mounting pressure to turn repeated rounds of dialogue into a concrete resolution.

With IANS inputs