Ranchi, August 9: The student protest against irregularities in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) recruitment exams has entered its 16th day. A formal third round of negotiations between the government and the protesting students is scheduled for noon today.
Previous discussions have ended without resolution. Following directives from Chief Minister Hemant Soren, a four-member committee of ministers engaged with various student groups on Friday and Saturday. The committee includes ministers Sudivya Kumar Sonu, Deepika Pandey Singh, Chamra Linda, and Sanjay Prasad Yadav. Over the past two days, five rounds of talks have taken place at different levels, yet a deadlock remains on the main demands.
Student representatives assert that verbal assurances will not suffice to end the protest. Ravi Kumar Paswan and Devendra Nath Mahto, leaders of the JLKMC group, emphasized that the government must provide written and concrete assurances regarding their demands. The students insist they will not withdraw from the protest without a written decision on all their demands. Their primary requests include the cancellation of the 14th JPSC civil service regular and backlog exams, the annulment of the 2024 JSSC CGL exam, a CBI investigation into all exams conducted by the TDPL agency, and concrete steps to reform the examination system.
Protesting students are calling for necessary changes in both commissions to ensure transparency and accountability in exam administration. Meanwhile, the government has sought suggestions from students and youth across the state regarding improvements to the examination system, allowing submissions via email. However, the protesting students do not view this as a substitute for their main demands.
The students have given the government until Sunday to make a concrete decision. They stated that if the negotiations at noon do not yield a written and satisfactory resolution, they will proceed with their planned assembly siege on August 10. Additionally, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has announced a separate assembly march on August 11. The next 24 to 36 hours are deemed critical for resolving the ongoing deadlock between the government and the protesting students.
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