Jharkhand Protest: Following weeks of intensive protests and growing public outcry over alleged examination irregularities, student leader Devendra Nath Mahto officially called off his 16-day hunger strike at Sadar Hospital in Ranchi.
The breakthrough occurred after the Jharkhand state government, led by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, took the decision to cancel the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination and scrap all recruitment drives handled by private agency TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL).
Mahto, associated with the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha, broke his fast late Monday night in the presence of state ministers Dipika Pandey Singh and Irfan Ansari.
Fellow protesting student leaders, including Umme Habiba and Rahul Kranti, also ended their hunger strikes alongside him.
A 24-Day Movement Forces Government Action
Jharkhand Protest: According to media reports, the decision follows 24 days of escalating demonstrations organized by job aspirants and various student groups across the state capital. Protesters had alleged widespread corruption, question paper leaks, and systemic flaws in state-level competitive exams.
The student agitation gained momentum on July 2, when Mahto began his indefinite fast. Thousands of civil service aspirants participated in street marches, culminating in a demonstration towards the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly.
The movement also garnered national political attention; according to news outlets, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi wrote to Chief Minister Hemant Soren urging direct government intervention to resolve the students’ grievances.
Following a special Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Soren, the administration announced the complete cancellation of the JSSC-CGL process.
Officials noted the significant weight of this step, as the recruitment drive had already progressed into its final appointment and joining phases. Furthermore, all tests, merit lists, and candidate selections managed by TDPL were nullified.
Multi-Agency Investigations and High-Profile Arrests
Jharkhand Protest: In addition to scrapping the affected recruitment drives, the Jharkhand government has ordered high-level investigations into exam management practices going back several years.
SIT & CID Inquiries: A Special Investigation Team (SIT) alongside the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) will review public recruitment examinations held across the state since 2014.
Judicial Oversight: A parallel judicial probe, to be headed by a retired judge, will evaluate specific claims of systemic failure.
Enforcement Directorate (ED): State ministers indicated that the government plans to approach the ED to investigate potential money laundering and financial misappropriation tied to private testing vendors.
According to police and administrative reports, the CID conducted raids at the JSSC headquarters in Ranchi. Around 20 individuals have been arrested in connection with the paper leak investigation, including former Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) chairman L. Khiangte.
Overhauling the Examination Framework
To rebuild trust among job seekers, the state administration announced the formation of a reform panel led by senior bureaucrat Amitabh Kaushal. The committee is tasked with proposing structural updates to the recruitment setup.
The planned measures include:
Publishing a fixed, time-bound annual examination calendar.
Implementing advanced technological safeguards at testing centers.
Establishing clear multi-stage auditing and accountability protocols for third-party agencies.
Launching a dedicated online portal where students, educators, and parents can submit suggestions for system improvements.
Students Vow Continued Fight for Institutional Reform
Upon ending his hunger strike, Mahto described the cabinet’s move as a “huge victory for the youth of Jharkhand” but stressed that the broader movement is far from over.
“I thank the Jharkhand government for showing the courage to make such a significant decision,” Mahto told media representatives. “While we are suspending this hunger strike, our struggle for fundamental reform continues.
We want a transparent system where future generations do not have to sit on the streets just to demand fair, leak-free examinations.”
Other student representatives, including Umme Habiba, urged the state government to drop police cases and First Information Reports (FIRs) filed against student activists during the demonstrations, emphasizing that the right to peaceful protest must be protected.
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