Hemant Soren to meet student delegation

Protesting students in Jharkhand form an 11-member delegation to engage with the government.

In Jharkhand, students and job aspirants protesting against alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations have formed an 11-member delegation to hold talks with the government to resolve the issue. This decision was taken a day after Chief Minister Hemant Soren stated that his government is open to discussions with the protesters.

Under the banner of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Forum, this movement began on July 25 at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium. On Thursday, the issue reached the Assembly on the first day of the monsoon session, where opposition legislators raised slogans in the Assembly premises. Notably, the movement has gained momentum over the past 13 days. Six protesters are on a hunger strike. Social activists and volunteers are continuously present at the protest site, bringing food for the protesters throughout the day.

An official of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Forum said,

"In response to the government's offer for talks, we have formed an 11-member delegation. It includes eight students, two experts, namely journalists, and one lawyer." The protesters demand the cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination. Additionally, they seek an independent investigation into the alleged irregularities in the recruitment examination, either by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or by a committee of retired High Court judges from outside the state.

It is noteworthy that the protesting students are also demanding extensive reforms in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). The forum official said,

"The role of journalists and the lawyer will be limited to providing guidance, as we want peaceful discussions and a resolution to this issue."

Hemant Soren had said on Wednesday that the issue of paper leaks is a national problem. He had offered talks to the protesters to end the deadlock. Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janta Party has also expressed solidarity with the protesters. Additionally, a delegation from the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's ally Congress met Hemant Soren, demanding intervention in the matter. However, despite the state government's efforts to initiate talks, discontent persists among the protesters.

The state government claims that the CID is already investigating the matter and several arrests have been made. On Wednesday, the CID arrested TDPL's accountant Rakshak Singh. TDPL is the agency that conducted the state's examinations. Rakshak Singh was part of the examination organizing system and had himself cleared the JPSC preliminary examination. The CID arrested him from Lucknow and brought him to Ranchi. The CID has arrested five more people in this case, bringing the total number of arrests to 20.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to uncover the full extent of the alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations is leading this investigation. As the investigation progresses, officials are examining digital records, application logs, and related documents. Meanwhile, the BJP questioned the silence of the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, regarding the student movement in Jharkhand on Thursday.

Congress leader and Jharkhand government minister Irfan Ansari said that the government has opened its doors for talks and will consider the students' demands. Ansari said,

"The Chief Minister has formed a committee. We have opened the doors for talks. Discussions will take place. We will listen to the students' demands, and if their demands are reasonable, we will certainly accept them. They are our students, our children."

The main demand of the protesting students is that the alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations be investigated by the CBI. The students argue that only an independent central agency can ensure a fair investigation in this matter. They are also demanding the cancellation and re-conduct of the examinations in which alleged irregularities occurred, particularly the 14th JPSC Combined Civil Services Preliminary Examination. Additionally, the students seek strict action against the recruitment agencies and officials accused of manipulating the examination process and OMR sheets.

This movement is being led by student leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike since Sunday night. He states that the students have tried all other democratic means of protest. According to Mahto, the students have been raising this issue since the beginning of July. They met the Governor, submitted evidence of alleged irregularities to Chief Minister Hemant Soren, held protests, and even organized a Constitution March. Despite this, no concrete action has been taken on their demands so far.