Students intensify protest over irregularities in recruitment exams in Jharkhand

Students intensified their protest over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations in Jharkhand. Ahead of the monsoon session of the state assembly, set to begin today, five protesters, including two women, joined Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on a hunger strike for the past four days. Mahto’s health became a matter of concern after his blood sugar and pressure levels dropped significantly.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren yesterday asserted that his government was committed to solving students’ problems. In a post on social media, he said, his government is working on this matter with complete seriousness. He said, the agencies are conducting investigations day and night, and the culprits are being sent to jail, he said.

The protest began on July 25 under the banner of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi. The protesters said they had been forced to adopt the extreme form of agitation after repeated appeals to the government failed to produce any concrete action.

The demonstrators are demanding cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand PSC Civil Services Examination and an independent probe into the alleged irregularities in the recruitment test either by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or by a panel of retired high court judges from outside the state. They also stressed comprehensive reforms in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).