Jharkhand student protests over exam irregularities persist amid clashes and arrests

Student protests over alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment examinations have continued for 18 days, escalating further on Tuesday with a state-wide bandh called by the BJP and a planned march to the state assembly by the ABVP.

The BJP's bandh, observed from 8 am to midnight, protests alleged police action against demonstrators during a march to the Vidhan Sabha on Monday.

Students and job aspirants have been protesting since July 25, demanding transparency in recruitment exams, reforms in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), cancellation of several examinations, and an independent investigation by the CBI or a panel of retired high court judges from outside the state.

Six demonstrators are on an indefinite hunger strike, with two having been hospitalized.

The sixth round of talks between the Jharkhand government and the protesting students, under the JPSC-JSSC Manch, concluded without a resolution on Sunday.

Both sides accused each other of lacking seriousness in addressing the issue.

A government panel stated, "it was unfortunate that the students did not lift the agitation despite the authorities conceding to '98 per cent of their demands'."

However, the student representatives denied this claim and maintained their demands.

Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), who condemned alleged police atrocities on students on Monday, announced they would organize a 'Vidhan Sabha March' during the day.

The procession is scheduled to move from the old Vidhan Sabha to the new assembly premises.

The student agitation intensified on Monday, with police using water cannons and lathi-charging protesters attempting to march to the assembly. Simultaneously, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched a money laundering probe into the alleged "anomalies."

Protesters reported injuries, while Ranchi police stated that 14 policemen were injured during the demonstrations. Police deployed water cannons and fired tear gas shells near Jagannathpur Temple as protesters approached the assembly.

In connection with the alleged irregularities, the Jharkhand CID arrested former JPSC chairperson L Khiangte. This arrest brings the total number of individuals apprehended by the state agency in the case to 20.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who celebrated his 51st birthday on Monday, appealed to the protesting students to resolve their grievances through "dialogue and trust." He accused the opposition BJP of attempting to mislead the agitators for political gain.

The BJP, which had gheraoed Soren's house prior to Monday's assembly march, called for the state-wide bandh to protest the "use of force" against students.

Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi condemned the police action, stating, "peaceful protests should not be met with violence." The Congress is an ally of the ruling JMM-led coalition in Jharkhand.

The BJP responded sharply to Gandhi's remarks, accusing him of double standards given the Congress's role in the state government. Union minister J P Nadda questioned Gandhi's stance, stating he was "an integral part of the state government and questioned whether he could hear the students' voices."

The state government announced its agreement to cancel the 14th JPSC examination and backlog examinations for 2023 and 2025. Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar also confirmed the government's voluntary agreement to an ED probe following evidence of financial irregularities.

Regarding the JSSC-CGL examination, Kumar stated that the Jharkhand government could not order its cancellation as it was conducted under court monitoring. The government proposed a committee headed by a retired high court judge to oversee the CID investigation, a proposal rejected by the protesters.

Kumar added that reforms in JPSC and JSSC standard operating procedures were also proposed, with input from IIT-ISM Dhanbad, IIM-Ranchi, and XLRI Jamshedpur.