Students in Ranchi marched to the state Assembly on Monday to demand the cancellation of recruitment exams following alleged paper leaks [1, 2].
The protests signal a growing crisis of confidence in the state's civil service recruitment process, pitting thousands of aspiring professionals against the state government.
The demonstration began with an assembly at 10 a.m. [4], followed by a march toward the state Assembly complex and the old Legislative Assembly in Jagannathpur starting at 11 a.m. [4, 5]. Protesters carried placards and tricolours as they called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into irregularities surrounding the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) examinations [1, 6].
Law enforcement responded to the march with force. Jharkhand Police and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) deployed water cannons, tear gas, and lathi charges to disperse the crowds [2, 3]. Amid the unrest, the CID arrested L Khiangte, the former chairman of the JPSC [3].
The students were joined by Devendra Nath Mahto, a leader of the Jharkhand Likeness Kamana Manch (JLKM), who has been on a hunger strike for nine days [2].
Government officials attempted to resolve the standoff through dialogue. A government committee met for two hours before issuing a statement [7]. Despite these talks, the government said it was unfortunate that the students were not ready to lift their agitation [7].
The protesters maintain that the integrity of the JPSC and JSSC exams has been compromised, rendering the results invalid [1, 6]. They continue to demand a full cancellation of the affected tests, and a federal investigation to identify those responsible for the leaks [1, 6].
“Students in Ranchi marched to the state Assembly on Monday to demand the cancellation of recruitment exams.”
The arrest of a former JPSC chairman alongside the use of force against students suggests a volatile intersection of administrative failure and public distrust. By demanding a CBI probe rather than a state-level inquiry, the protesters are explicitly rejecting the Jharkhand government's ability to police its own recruitment bodies, indicating a systemic breakdown in the perceived legitimacy of state meritocracy.
