Ranchi, August 17: The ongoing student protests in Jharkhand against alleged irregularities in the JPSC and JSSC recruitment exams will see another round of talks between the government and the protesting students today. On the 24th day of the movement, a group of four ministers will meet with representatives from the JPSC-JSSC Reform Forum at the State Guest House in Morhabadi at 2 PM.
Students have been invited to participate in the discussions along with their legal advisors. The protesting students are firm on two main demands: the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL exam and a CBI investigation into the irregularities in the JPSC and JSSC recruitment exams. Despite several rounds of negotiations, no agreement has been reached on these key demands, making today’s talks crucial for breaking the current deadlock.
The state government extended this invitation to the students on Sunday. The sub-divisional officer and ADM of law and order informed the protesters about the meeting. The government has also agreed to allow the students’ legal advisors to join the discussions. On the eve of the talks, protesting students held a march in Ranchi, starting from the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium and reaching Albert Ekka Chowk, where they burned effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav.
The students reiterated their demands while chanting slogans against the government. They have announced plans to besiege the Chief Minister’s residence on August 20. The JPSC-JSSC Reform Forum has warned that if their primary demands are not addressed, a large number of candidates from various districts will converge on Ranchi.
The government’s stance on the two main demands has been different so far. Over 2,000 appointments have already been made through the JSSC-CGL exam held in 2024. The government argues that canceling the exam at this stage is practically difficult. They have also stated that previous complaints related to the exam have been investigated and the matter has gone through judicial processes. Currently, the state CID is conducting an investigation related to the case, but students do not trust this inquiry. They are demanding a CBI investigation to restore their faith in the process.
On the other hand, the government has proposed forming a high-level inquiry committee headed by a retired judge as an alternative to a CBI investigation. However, the protesting students are not willing to accept this offer. Meanwhile, previous discussions between the government and students have led to agreements on several reform-related demands. The government has already announced the cancellation of the 14th JPSC civil service exam and the backlog civil service exam. For the first time, the protesting students have also called for Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s resignation.
However, today’s discussions are expected to focus primarily on issues related to the recruitment exams and the students’ main demands. All eyes are on the meeting scheduled for 2 PM. If the government and students can reach a consensus, it could pave the way for ending the protest that has been ongoing for over three weeks. Conversely, if the talks fail, the planned siege of the Chief Minister’s residence on August 20 could escalate the movement further.
Leave a Comment