Thousands of JPSC and JSSC aspirants marched toward the Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha on Monday, Aug. 10, demanding a CBI investigation into exam scams [1, 2].
The protests signal a deepening crisis of confidence in the state's civil service recruitment processes. Students allege that systemic paper leaks and irregularities have compromised the meritocracy of competitive examinations, leaving thousands of candidates without fair employment opportunities.
Student leaders Devendra Nath Mahto and Ravindra Paswan organized the demonstration in Ranchi [1, 3]. Mahto said, "We urge protesters from across the state to join the march" [1]. The movement follows a hunger strike that lasted nine days [1].
Paswan said the march to the Vidhan Sabha and a gherao would be conducted in a peaceful and constitutional manner [3]. Despite these intentions, the encounter between protesters and security forces turned volatile. Some reports indicate that security personnel used water cannons and later resorted to a lathicharge to disperse the crowd [2]. While some sources report no injuries, others state several protesters were injured during the police action [4, 1].
The unrest comes amid significant internal turmoil within the state's examination bodies. Three members of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) have resigned [5]. Protesters argue that the state government has failed to address long-standing scams, and irregularities in both the JPSC and JSSC exams [1, 2].
The protests featured diverse forms of expression to draw attention to the cause. One man dressed as Spider-Man participated in the demonstration. He said, "Students' voices were not reaching the state government but had reached Spider-Man in America" [6].
The students continue to call for comprehensive reforms to the examination system to prevent future leaks, and ensure transparency in the hiring of state officials [1, 2].
“Students' voices were not reaching the state government but had reached Spider-Man in America.”
The demand for a CBI probe indicates that students no longer trust state-level agencies to investigate their own recruitment boards. The resignation of three JPSC members suggests internal instability, while the use of force by police may further alienate a critical demographic of educated youth in Jharkhand.
