Jharkhand Student Protest: The Jharkhand government will conduct a sixth round of talks with students protesting alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations before taking a final decision, a member of the panel constituted to engage with the demonstrators said on Saturday. The meeting is scheduled for 12 PM on Sunday.
Govt Panel Briefs CM Hemant Soren, Schedules Final Round of Talks
The announcement came after a four-hour meeting where the panel briefed Chief Minister Hemant Soren on the outcomes of the previous five rounds of dialogue with the protesters.
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"We apprised the chief minister of students' views and demands that came to the fore during various rounds of meetings with delegations of student unions today and the day before."
"It was decided in the meeting with the chief minister that a final round of talks with protesting students will take place at 12 PM on Sunday," news agency PTI quoted panel member and Rural Development Minister Dipika Pandey Singh as saying.
Another panel member, Minister Sanjay Prasad Yadav, confirmed that the meeting at the chief minister's residence concluded with a decision to continue discussions with the agitators, who are demanding comprehensive reforms in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
Student Leader Outlines Three Core Demands: Cancellation, Investigation, And Reforms
Student leader Ravindra Paswan stated that the demonstrators' core demands have been categorised into three areas: cancellation, investigation, and reforms.
- Cancellation: Immediate cancellation of the JSSC exam and all examinations conducted by the agency TDPL, along with any tests linked to Abhay Tiwari.
- Investigation: Independent probes into the alleged irregularities by the CBI and the ED.
- Reforms: Comprehensive structural reforms in the JPSC and the JSSC.
Although the state government has held five rounds of talks with various protesting groups since Friday night, no breakthrough has been achieved. Job aspirants maintain that their agitation will continue until all their demands are met.
Actor Piyush Mishra Joins Protest
Actor and singer Piyush Mishra joined the ongoing protests by JPSC-JSSC aspirants in Ranchi.
Speaking to ANI, Mishra said, "I didn't come here to offer my support for any other reason. I watched interviews with some of the students and saw the pain, suffering, and tears in their eyes - that was enough for me. I love young people. I sing and act for you, which is why I came. Beyond being here, we have already provided aid in the form of food, tarpaulins, and whatever financial help we could manage. We are doing everything within our capacity."
(With Inputs From ANI And PTI)