Ranchi: The Jharkhand government’s decision to cancel the JSSC-CGL and TDPL examinations has brought a major development in the ongoing student agitation, with four protesters, including student leader Devendra Nath Mahto, ending their 16-day hunger strike early Tuesday. However, the wider protest will continue as students are still demanding a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
Mahto, Umm-e-Habiba, Prem Nayak and Kush Mahto ended their hunger strike at around 1.15 a.m. at Ranchi Sadar Hospital after the state government announced the cancellation of the examinations. Ministers Deepika Pandey Singh and Irfan Ansari offered them juice to formally mark the end of the fast.
Speaking afterwards, Mahto said the protesters had decided to suspend their hunger strike following discussions with Health Minister Irfan Ansari, Minister Deepika Pandey Singh and JLKM MLA Jairam Kumar Mahato.
“Today, on the 16th day of our hunger strike, we ended our fast in a dignified manner,” Mahto said, adding that the students believed the demands for which they had been protesting peacefully had been fulfilled.
Jairam Kumar Mahato also welcomed the government’s decision, describing it as a historic step. He noted that the JSSC-CGL recruitment process had already reached the joining stage, yet the government had taken the decision to cancel the examination after considering the concerns raised by the students.
The decision was taken at a special Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday. The government announced the cancellation of examinations conducted by JSSC and TDPL following weeks of protests over alleged irregularities in the recruitment process.
The announcement triggered celebrations at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, where students had been demonstrating. Despite heavy rain, protesters distributed sweets, hugged one another, raised slogans and celebrated with colours and fireworks. They described the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination as a major victory after 24 days of agitation.
But the movement has not completely ended.
The JPSC-JSSC Reform Forum has said that its agitation will continue until the government takes a decision on the demand for a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
Forum spokesperson Ravindra Paswan said cancellation of the examinations was a significant achievement, but the demand for an independent investigation remained pending. He said the students would continue to press for clarity on the issue.
Student leader Piyush Kumar described the government’s decision as the “first major victory” and said several issues were still unresolved. He specifically referred to concerns related to the 11th to 13th JPSC Civil Services Examination. The protesters will study the government’s official notification before deciding their next course of action.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren had earlier said that investigations by the SIT and CID into the JSSC-CGL issue had brought several important findings to light, including indications of alleged collusion among different agencies.
The government has also announced a comprehensive inquiry into recruitment examinations conducted by the JPSC and JSSC since 2014. In another move aimed at preventing similar controversies in the future, it has constituted a committee headed by IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal to recommend reforms to make the examination system more transparent and strengthen safeguards against irregularities.
The cancellation of the examinations has given the protesting students a significant victory and ended their immediate hunger strike. However, the unresolved CBI probe demand means the broader confrontation between the government and student groups is likely to continue until both sides reach a settlement.
With inputs from IANS