Police used water cannons and lathi-charges on Monday to stop students marching toward the Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha in Ranchi [1, 2].
The unrest highlights growing frustration over alleged irregularities in state-level civil service examinations, which are critical for youth employment in the region.
Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto led the demonstration while participating in a hunger strike [1, 2]. Mahto reached the protest site in an ambulance and continued the march on a stretcher [2]. He said that the protesters would not be stopped despite his physical condition [2].
The students are protesting alleged irregularities within the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC), and the Jharkhand Subordinate Service Commission (JSSC) [1, 3]. These commissions manage the recruitment of government officials and staff across the state.
During the unrest, police deployed water cannons to disperse the crowds marching toward the state legislative assembly [2]. Mahto expressed concern over the potential for violence during the confrontation. "No blood should spill here like Jantar Mantar," Mahto said [2].
Parallel to the student march, political tensions rose as police detained multiple leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) [3]. These detentions occurred outside the residence of the chief minister [3].
The protests took place on Aug. 10, 2024 [1]. The clash between student activists and security forces underscores the volatility of the exam row in Ranchi, as protesters demand transparency, and accountability from the state commissions [1, 3].
“No blood should spill here like Jantar Mantar.”
The convergence of student activism and BJP political involvement suggests that exam irregularities have become a focal point for broader political opposition in Jharkhand. By linking the protests to Jantar Mantar, student leaders are framing local administrative failures as part of a wider national pattern of civil unrest over government transparency and youth employment.
