The Jharkhand government is set to hold another round of discussions with protesting students on Sunday as the agitation over alleged irregularities in state recruitment examinations entered its 15th day.
The latest move comes after the government held several meetings with different student organisations on Saturday. However, the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, which has been leading the protest, accused the Hemant Soren-led government of trying to divide the student movement through what it described as “political manoeuvring”.
Meanwhile, Rural Development Minister Dipika Pandey Singh said the government is examining one of the protesters’ key demands—the cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) Civil Services Examination.
Jharkhand Government Examining Demand to Cancel 14th JPSC Exam
Speaking to ANI, Dipika Pandey Singh confirmed that the demand to cancel the 14th JPSC Civil Services Examination is currently under consideration.
She said the government had taken note of the concerns raised by the students and was willing to address legitimate demands.
“The students are demanding cancellation of the examination, and the government is considering the matter,” she said.
The minister added that the state government wants to bring significant reforms to the recruitment process and improve confidence among students and job aspirants.
According to Singh, the government had attempted to begin discussions with the protesters several days earlier and had now held multiple consultations with various student groups.
She said a special committee had been formed to examine the concerns and suggestions submitted by the aspirants. Chief Minister Hemant Soren has also been informed about the progress of the discussions.
The minister expressed hope that the talks would soon lead to a solution, saying students had raised several important concerns and offered constructive suggestions for reforming the recruitment system.
Sixth Round of JPSC-JSSC Talks Scheduled for Sunday
The government has already held five rounds of discussions with student representatives, but the talks have so far failed to break the deadlock.
According to PTI, four separate meetings were held on Saturday with different student organisations, including the Congress student wing NSUI, Jharkhand Chhatra Manch and Adivasi Chhatra Sangh.
These discussions followed a meeting held a day earlier with the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, the main organisation spearheading the ongoing protest.
After a four-hour meeting between the government panel and Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday evening, it was decided that another round of talks would be held with student representatives at around 12 pm on Sunday.
The government panel includes ministers Dipika Pandey Singh, Sudivya Kumar, Chamra Linda and Sanjay Prasad Yadav.
The panel has reportedly briefed the Chief Minister about the various demands presented by student groups during the consultations.
JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch Alleges Attempt to Divide Students
The announcement of separate meetings with different student organisations has drawn criticism from the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch.
Ravindra Paswan, one of the leaders of the group, accused the government of trying to weaken the protest by creating divisions among students.
Speaking at a press conference at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, where students have been staging demonstrations since July 25, Paswan said the student community remained united despite the government’s outreach to multiple groups.
“This is political manoeuvring. The government is trying to divide students and shift attention from the real issues, but all students remain united,” he said.
Paswan claimed that the Reforms Manch had already presented its complete set of demands to the five-member government panel during a detailed meeting on Friday night.
He questioned why the government subsequently held separate discussions with organisations such as NSUI, Jharkhand Chhatra Morcha and Adivasi Chhatra Sangh to collect individual charters of demands.
The state government, however, maintained that all the meetings were constructive and aimed at understanding the concerns of different groups of aspirants.
What Are the Main Demands of JPSC-JSSC Protesters?
The students are demanding major reforms in the functioning and recruitment processes of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
Different organisations participating in the protest have submitted their own sets of demands.
Key Demands Raised by Student Organisations
The Jharkhand Chhatra Morcha has put forward five demands, including the cancellation of the 14th JPSC Civil Services Examination.
The NSUI has submitted six demands, including a call for a CID investigation into JPSC and JSSC examinations facing allegations of irregularities. The organisation has demanded that the probe be completed within 90 days.
It has also sought the establishment of a Jharkhand Testing Agency, similar to the National Testing Agency, to bring greater transparency to the examination process.
The Adivasi Chhatra Sangh has demanded that tribal and regional languages be included as qualifying papers in recruitment examinations. The organisation has also called for cancellation of examinations where irregularities are proven.
Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar said the government has created a dedicated email ID to collect suggestions from students, aspirants and other stakeholders regarding reforms in the state’s recruitment system.
Students Warn of August 10 Assembly March
Despite the government’s decision to resume talks, protesters have said they will not end their agitation until their demands are properly addressed.
The student groups have announced a march towards the Jharkhand Assembly on August 10 if the government fails to reach a satisfactory resolution during Sunday’s discussions.
Several student organisations have joined the wider movement.
The All India Students’ Association (AISA) set up a separate platform at the protest site on Saturday. However, its leaders clarified that this did not represent a separate agitation.
AISA national president Neha Bora, who was reportedly attacked with ink during Friday’s Assembly march near Birsa Chowk, briefly participated in the protest and raised slogans demanding the cancellation of both the 14th JPSC examination and the JSSC-CGL examination.
AISA’s Ranchi unit chief Vijay Kumar said the organisation supported the broader demands of the student movement and would participate in the August 10 Assembly march without using the AISA banner.
ABVP Also Participates in the Protest
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has also been involved in the agitation.
On Friday, ABVP members reportedly clashed with police while trying to cross barricades near the Chief Minister’s residence.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (Headquarters) Ajay Aryan said around eight to 10 ABVP protesters were detained during the incident and later released.
The organisation has separately announced a Vidhan Sabha march on August 11.
19 Arrested in JPSC Exam Irregularities Case
The ongoing protests are taking place against the backdrop of an investigation into alleged irregularities in JPSC examinations.
According to PTI, 19 people have been arrested so far in connection with the alleged exam-related irregularities.
Former JPSC chairperson L Khiangte has also been questioned four times since July 28 as part of the investigation.
Meanwhile, students and job aspirants also marked the death anniversary of martyr Nirmal Mahto during the ongoing agitation.
Protesters marched from the demonstration site to Albert Ekka Chowk and held a flashlight procession while continuing to press for reforms and action on their demands.
Will Sunday’s Talks End the JPSC-JSSC Deadlock?
With the Jharkhand government now considering the cancellation of the 14th JPSC examination and another round of talks scheduled for Sunday, attention is firmly focused on whether the latest discussions can bring an end to the deadlock.
The outcome of the meeting could prove crucial for thousands of protesting students and job aspirants who have been demanding greater transparency and accountability in Jharkhand’s recruitment system.
For now, the government has indicated its willingness to engage with students, while the protesters have made it clear that their agitation—and the planned Assembly march—will continue unless they receive a concrete response to their demands.