India: Student anger over alleged exam issues spreads to Jharkhand
Inspired by the Cockroach movement, young people in India's eastern state of Jharkhand are marching on the state assembly to demand transparency and a probe
Inspired by the Cockroach movement, young people in India's eastern state of Jharkhand are marching on the state assembly to demand transparency and a probe into alleged irregularities in civil service recruitment exams. Thousands of protesters in Jharkhand are marching on the eastern Indian state's parliament to demand a federal inquiry into alleged irregularities in recruitment exams for government jobs, for the tests to be canceled and for a more transparent hiring process. Police used water cannons against the protesters on Monday as they tried to breach security barricades en route to Jharkhand Legislative Assembly. The confrontation marked a sharp escalation between the authorities and the protesters. The movement began on July 25, when demonstrators started camping at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in the state capital, Ranchi. Protesters clashed with police Monday as they marched towards the state parliament Image: ANI Video Grab In scenes reminiscent of the youth-led "Cockroach" protests that swept New Delhi last month, some protesters also went on a hunger strike. Rahul Kranti, a 40-year-old government job aspirant and one of at least six protesters participating in the hunger strike, was moved to intensive care after his health deteriorated. "The future of Jharkhand's youth will not be allowed to be sold. I will remain on hunger strike, whether I am in hospital or at the protest site," Kranti told DW. He pledged to continue his protest until the government cancels Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) exams and orders a criminal inquiry by the national Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). After hours of negotiations on Sunday, the government agreed to suspend this year's disputed JPSC exam, and three members of the commission resigned. But the protesters say the concessions fall short of their demands, which include the cancelation of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission's Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination, a major recruitment test for state government jobs, and a full federal probe into alleged irregularities across Jharkhand's recruitment system for public sector jobs.
At least six protesters are on hunger strike in Jharkhand Image: ANI News/IMAGO What sparked the protests in Jharkhand? The initial trigger was the latest JPSC civil services examination, which just 103 government posts. More than 2,000 candidates qualified for the next stage when results were announced in early July. Then, an answer sheet began circulating online, apparently showing a candidate who had passed the exam, despite completing very little of it. The image went viral, prompting allegations that the results had been manipulated. Police have arrested the candidate at the center of the controversy, along with 10 others, and the commission's chair resigned under pressure. But the protesters say those steps have not addressed the larger problem. Devendra Nath Mahto has been on hunger strike for nine days and has lost more than 10 kilograms [FILE: August 4, 2026] Image: Somnath Sen/ANI What are the protesters' demands? The Jharkhand protesters want the exam results to be scrapped and for the exam to be repeated. They are also calling for an independent inquiry, either by retired High Court judges from outside the state, or by federal authorities. The protesters argue that a state police probe cannot adequately examine allegations involving Jharkhand's own recruitment machinery. The Jharkhand Chhatra Sangh (JCS), one of the student groups involved in the protests, is also demanding greater transparency in answer sheets and test results, biometric verification, tougher safeguards against paper leaks and accountability for officials and private, third-party recruitment agencies. The JCS also wants alleged tainted examinations from recent years to be investigated and, where necessary, canceled and retaken. "The government must clean up the entire JPSC and JSSC recruitment system, investigate those responsible, blacklist tainted agencies and make future examinations transparent and fraud-proof," S Ali, national president of the JCS, told DW.
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