Jharkhand JPSC-JSSC Protest: Amid the ongoing protest by job aspirants over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday announced the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination and all job tests conducted by TDPL agency since 2014.
The decision comes as the student agitation in Ranchi entered its 24th day, with protesters continuing to demand action against alleged irregularities in the examination system.
Meanwhile, Jharkhand Minister Sudivya Kumar appealed to the protesting students to call off their agitation, saying the government had addressed their major demands related to the recruitment examinations.
Kumar also said that candidates affected by the government's decision to cancel the examinations are free to seek legal recourse if they wish.
The state Cabinet has decided to cancel the JSSC-CGL examination as well. The Chief Minister said the scope of the investigation would cover all examinations conducted from 2014 to the present.
The cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination has been one of the key demands of the protesting students.
Devendra End His 16-Day Hunger Strike
Student leader Devendra Mahto, who had been on a hunger strike for 16 days over alleged irregularities in job examinations, broke his fast in the presence of Jharkhand Ministers Dipika Pandey Singh and Irfan Ansari at Sadar Hospital.
"I am now suspending my protest, my struggle for reform will continue. I envision an education system where paper leaks and irregularities do not occur—a system that guarantees that children currently in primary or secondary school would not have to make such sacrifices or fight such battles when they eventually appear for JPSC or JSSC exams. If this requires the Legislative Assembly to enact new laws or necessitates a constitutional amendment, then so be it. Every examination must be monitored, every examination must be audited, and there must be a clear certificate for every examination and at every stage; we will continue to struggle for this."
Devendra Nath Mahato said, "Action has certainly been taken regarding the irregularities and malpractice that plagued the system—the very issues we fought against, even risking our lives during the agitation. While our demands have been met, we cannot say we are fully satisfied yet, as a long battle still lies ahead. Nevertheless, we extend our thanks and gratitude to the government for addressing our demands. We also thank all our friends in the media, as well as the police, the administration, the students, and the parents. However, our struggle to reform the entire education system will continue. As for our future strategy, we will announce it after sitting down to discuss and deliberate on the matter."
Soon after the Jharkhand government decided to cancel the JSSC-CGL examination, Sonam Wangchuk held a video call with hunger-strike protester Devendra Mahto.
Speaking to Wangchuk, Mahto said, "Inspired and motivated by your guidance sir, and with your blessings, we, the students of Jharkhand, fought this battle. Today, on the 16th day of our hunger strike and the 23rd day of our protest movement, the government has accepted our demands. I offer my respectful greetings to you and seek your blessings."
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Mahato said students would continue to support the investigation and efforts to eliminate corruption from the examination system. He stressed that the protest would continue unless their demands were fully addressed and an official notification was issued.
He also called for long-term systemic reforms and a government guarantee to prevent future paper leaks and irregularities in examinations.
Meanwhile, student leaders Umme Habiba and Rahul Kranti broke their hunger strike at Sadar Hospital in the presence of Jharkhand ministers Dipika Pandey Singh and Irfan Ansari, following the Chief Minister’s announcement to cancel the JSSC-CGL examination and all exams conducted by TDPL.
Are All Demands Fulfilled? What Are Students Saying?
W The protesting students in Jharkhand Monday welcomed the state government’s announcement to cancel all recruitment examinations, including the JSSC-CGL, conducted on behalf of TDPL but warned their agitation would continue until all their demands are met.
Reacting to the Chief Minister's announcement, student leader Ravindra Paswan welcomed the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL and TDPL examinations and thanked those who had supported the movement.
However, Paswan said the agitation would continue until all demands were fulfilled. He particularly highlighted the demand for a CBI investigation, which has not yet been ordered.
Paswan said the protesters would not withdraw from the agitation until the CBI investigation was ordered.
Another student leader, Piyush Kumar, welcomed the cancellation of the examinations but described it as only the first step. He said the movement would continue until the remaining demands including a CBI investigation and resolution of the “11th to 13th” issue were addressed.
The protesters are expected to discuss their next course of action after reviewing the government's latest decisions and the demands that remain pending.
Students Celebrate Outside Jaipal Singh Stadium
Visuals from outside Jaipal Singh Stadium showed students celebrating after the Jharkhand government decided to cancel the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination.
However, despite the celebrations, some students said the agitation would not end until their demand for a CBI investigation was addressed.
A student said, "Our demand for a CBI investigation remains unfulfilled. Our hunger strike will not end until the CBI inquiry takes place. It is a matter of great happiness that the JSSC-CGL exam has been cancelled. We will call off the agitation only after the CBI inquiry is conducted, not before."
The Chief Minister said the scope of the investigation covers all examinations held from 2014 to the present.
"We have decided to cancel everything associated with TDPL--including the examinations conducted, the results published, the candidates selected or who participated, and all other activities carried out by TDPL," soren said.
The Chief Minister said the government would ensure complete transparency in examination-related reforms and address the concerns raised by students protesting over alleged irregularities.
With the JSSC-CGL and TDPL-linked examinations now cancelled, the next major question is whether the government’s action will satisfy the protesters or whether the unresolved demand for a CBI investigation will keep the agitation going.