Jharkhand job exam stir enters 14th day, fasting protester taken to hospital
One of the six protesters on an indefinite hunger strike against irregularities in recruitment examinations in Jharkhand was hospitalised on Friday after his health deteriorated
One of the six protesters on an indefinite hunger strike against irregularities in recruitment examinations in Jharkhand was hospitalised on Friday after his health deteriorated, even as the agitation entered its 14th day. Student leader Rahul Kranti, who has been fasting since Tuesday night, was taken by ambulance to Ranchi Sadar Hospital after his condition worsened, an official said. Earlier in the day, Kranti alleged that despite repeated appeals to the administration for a medical check-up, no doctors had visited the protest site till around 8.30 am. Read Full Story The indefinite hunger strike intensified on Tuesday night when five more protesters, including two women, joined Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has now been on fast for six days.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday described question paper leaks as a national problem and said his government was open to dialogue to resolve the impasse. Following his appeal, the agitating students and job aspirants constituted an 11-member delegation to hold talks with the government and seek a resolution to the issue. "We have formed an 11-member delegation, comprising eight students, two experts and an advocate, in response to the government's offer to hold talks in connection with the stir," said an office bearer of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch. A five-member government panel, including ministers Dipika Pandey Singh and Sudivya Kumar, is likely to interact with the protesters, an official said.
On Wednesday, social activist Sonam Wangchuk, who recently observed a 26-day hunger strike in Delhi over the NEET paper leak issue, spoke to Mahto over the phone and urged him to at least drink water. Mahto subsequently agreed to consume water while continuing his fast. Meanwhile, the broader protest over the recruitment exam irregularities entered its 14th day on Friday. Two student unions announced plans to march to the Jharkhand Assembly, which is currently in session, to press for their demands. The protesters are seeking the cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) Civil Services Examination and an independent investigation into the irregularities, either by the CBI or by a panel of retired high court judges from outside the state.
They are also demanding sweeping reforms in the functioning of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). Ends
The BriefWire