Hundreds of students in Ranchi are staging a sit-in protest and hunger strike to demand a federal investigation into recruitment exam irregularities [1].

The demonstrations highlight a deep lack of trust in state-level investigative agencies to handle allegations of paper leaks and systemic corruption in government hiring. Because these exams determine entry into prestigious civil service roles, any compromise in integrity threatens the career prospects of thousands of candidates.

The protesters are calling for a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) examination and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) Combined Graduate Level (CGL) recruitment exams [1]. In addition to the federal investigation, the students are demanding that the government conduct fresh examinations and take strict action against those responsible for the leaks [2].

Reports on the duration of the protests vary. Some accounts state the students continued their sit-in for five consecutive days as of Aug. 2, 2026 [2]. Other reports indicate the protest had entered its 11th day by the time of the reporting [3].

The gathering in Ranchi has intensified as students maintain their hunger strike to draw attention to the alleged irregularities [1]. The protesters have indicated plans to expand their actions, including a proposed "gherao," or encircling of the legislative assembly, to force a response from government officials [3].

The 14th JPSC exam is a critical gateway for administrative roles in the state, and the JSSC-CGL exams cover a wide array of graduate-level government positions [1]. The students said that only a central agency like the CBI can ensure an impartial investigation into the leaks [2].

“Hundreds of students in Ranchi are staging a sit-in protest and hunger strike”

The demand for a CBI probe reflects a recurring pattern in Indian state politics where candidates view local police and state agencies as too close to the ruling administration to conduct fair audits of recruitment scandals. By escalating to a hunger strike and threatening an assembly gherao, the students are attempting to transform a bureaucratic grievance into a high-visibility political crisis that the state government cannot ignore.