Police used lathi-charges and tear gas to disperse thousands [3] of students protesting outside the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly in Ranchi on Monday [1].
The clash highlights growing unrest over recruitment integrity in the state, as aspirants allege that systemic corruption has compromised their professional futures.
Protesters are demanding the cancellation of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC-CGL) exam and a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged paper leaks and irregularities [2, 4]. The unrest escalated after talks between students and officials failed, leading to a march toward the assembly [5].
Authorities reported using lathi-charges up to three times [2] to control the crowd. Rahul Gandhi said, "Use of force against protesting students is wrong" [4].
Among the demonstrators was Devendra Nath Mahto, leader of the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha. Mahto has been on a hunger strike for nine days [1], during which he said he has lost 10.5 kg [1].
A spokesperson for the Jharkhand government said the administration has accepted 98 percent [5] of the protesters' demands. However, students said the government has not addressed their core demands and continued to protest [4].
The tension in Ranchi reflects a broader conflict between state administrative claims of resolution and student demands for independent federal oversight.
“"Use of force against protesting students is wrong."”
The standoff underscores a crisis of trust in Jharkhand's state-level recruitment bodies. While the government claims nearly full compliance with student demands, the insistence on a CBI probe suggests that aspirants no longer trust state-led investigations to handle allegations of paper leaks and exam fraud.
