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Jharkhand Student Protest (Img: X)
Ranchi: The Jharkhand student protest intensified on Monday as thousands of students marching towards the state Assembly over alleged JPSC-JSSC exam irregularities faced police action, including lathi charge and water cannons. Despite heavy security, barricades and forceful attempts to stop them, protesters continued their Vidhan Sabha Gherao march, raising demands for reforms in the recruitment process and a probe into alleged irregularities.
The protest, which entered its 17th day, saw students breaking through multiple layers of barricading as security forces tried to disperse the crowd. The situation turned tense near the Assembly premises as police deployed water cannons and resorted to lathi charge to control the protesting students.
Ahead of the march, security arrangements were tightened across Ranchi. Police personnel were deployed in large numbers, while multiple layers of barricades and restrictions were placed around the Assembly area.
As protesters moved towards the Assembly, police used water cannons to disperse the crowd. However, the students continued their march despite the action and crossed several barricades set up by the administration.
In a dramatic scene, many protesters responded to the water cannons by dancing and singing on the streets, showing their determination to continue the demonstration.
Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on a hunger strike for several days, joined the protest march despite his health condition. He reached the protest site in an ambulance and participated in the march on a stretcher.
Addressing the students, Mahto appealed for a peaceful demonstration and warned against any violent incident.
“It is Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s birthday today. I appeal to everyone that no situation like Jantar Mantar should happen here. No blood should spill, and no one should get injured,” Mahto said.
He added that the government must listen to the demands of students and resolve the issue through dialogue.
The protesting students have been demanding a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations. They have also demanded cancellation of several disputed exams conducted after 2019, strict action against those involved in paper leaks, and major reforms in the recruitment system.
The students are also seeking transparency in the examination process, including the release of category-wise cut-offs, OMR sheets and response sheets, along with a fixed recruitment calendar similar to UPSC and SSC.
The Jharkhand government has claimed that it has accepted around 98 per cent of the students’ demands after multiple rounds of talks. However, student leaders have rejected the claim, saying their key demands, especially a CBI probe and cancellation of disputed examinations, have not been accepted.
The sixth round of discussions between the government and student representatives failed to reach a final agreement, following which students decided to continue their protest.
Amid the ongoing protest, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to investigate alleged financial irregularities linked to JPSC examinations.
The development has added another dimension to the controversy surrounding recruitment exams in the state.
With security forces deployed across Ranchi and restrictions imposed near the Assembly, the student movement has entered a critical phase. Protesters have maintained that they will continue their agitation until their demands are addressed.
The JPSC-JSSC controversy has emerged as one of the biggest student-led movements in Jharkhand, putting pressure on the state government to find a solution.
