Jharkhand exam stir: Government to hold fresh talks; health of student leader on fast deteriorates
The Jharkhand government will hold fresh talks on Sunday (August 9, 2026) with aspirants protesting alleged recruitment exam irregularities for the 16th day now, a
The Jharkhand government will hold fresh talks on Sunday (August 9, 2026) with aspirants protesting alleged recruitment exam irregularities for the 16th day now, a move a prominent student faction termed "political manoeuvring". Jharkhand students protest LIVE updates The decision for another round of talks was taken after a series of meetings between the government and student groups on Friday (August 7, 2026) night and throughout Saturday (August 8, 2026) failed to break the deadlock. Meanwhile, the condition of student leader Devenedra Nath Mahto, who has been on indefinite hunger strike for around a week now at Ranchi's Jaipal Singh Stadium, suddenly deteriorated around 3 a.m. Doctors recorded his blood glucose level at 53. The Hemant Soren government on Friday (August 7, 2026) night held discussions with the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch that has been spearheading the agitation. Then, throughout Saturday (August 8, 2026), it held four rounds of talks with different student groups, including the Congress' student wing NSUI, Jharkhand Chhatra Morcha (JCM) and Adivasi Chhatra Sangh (ACS). However, since the meetings remained inconclusive, the government decided to hold a sixth round of talks with student representatives around 12 p.m. on Sunday (August 9, 2026). The backlash was immediate. The JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch accused the Jharkhand government of "political manoeuvring" by announcing another round of talks with student organisations, alleging the move was aimed at creating divisions among protesting students and diverting people's attention from their core demands.
Ravindra Paswan, a leader of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, claimed the government was attempting to weaken the agitation by holding discussions with organisations that had "played no role in the ongoing protest". "This is political manoeuvring by the government. It is trying to create a divide among students and divert attention. But they should know that all students are united," Mr. Paswan said at a press conference at the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, where students have been protesting since July 25. Paswan claimed the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch had placed all its demands before the five-member government panel during a detailed meeting on Friday night. However, on Saturday (August 8, 2026), the panel, comprising Ministers Dipika Pandey Singh, Sudivya Kumar, Chamra Linda and Sanjay Prasad Yadav, held separate meetings with student bodies including the Congress-backed NSUI, JCM and Adivasi Chhatra Sangh ACS, and sought their respective charters of demands. The government, however, said the discussions were held in a positive atmosphere and that it was considering the concerns raised by the protesting aspirants. The decision for another round of talks was taken after a four-hour meeting between the government panel and Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday (August 8, 2026) evening. Rural Development Minister Dipika Pandey Singh said the panel had apprised the Chief Minister of the demands and concerns raised by student delegations during the discussions.
The BriefWire