Jharkhand Students Protest Enters 20th Day as Students Continue Demanding Action

Ranchi: Jharkhand's ongoing agitation over alleged irregularities in state recruitment examinations reached its 20th consecutive day on Thursday, with protesters holding firm in their refusal to call off the movement until their demands are met.

The JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch has continued its demonstration from Ranchi's Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, pressing for greater accountability in the examination process, the scrapping of several disputed tests, and an independent probe conducted either by the CBI or a panel of retired judges from outside the state.

Tensions boiled over Monday when a march toward the state assembly turned confrontational, with security forces deploying batons, water cannons and tear gas to break up the demonstrators.

Amid the escalating tensions, JLKM leader Devendra Nath Mahto — hospitalised after his health took a turn for the worse during his hunger strike — requested clearance from the Ranchi civil surgeon to rejoin the protest site, insisting that his "soul" remained tied to the students' cause despite his medical condition. Four other hunger-striking students were also receiving hospital treatment at the time.

The government and student representatives have met six times for talks, yet the impasse continues unresolved.

As the protest stretches on, political attention has increasingly shifted toward assigning blame rather than finding solutions. Congress, part of the ruling JMM coalition, and the BJP, the state's leading opposition party, have both been preoccupied with mutual finger-pointing, even as the state's youth remain anxious about their futures.

In contrast, Left parties have openly thrown their support behind the student movement. The Cockroach Janta Party, that had earlier spearheaded the student protest in Delhi, also pledged solidarity with the Jharkhand demonstrators. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke told ANI last week that the group's representatives had visited the protest site and were helping arrange food distribution for those camped there, while adding that they stand firmly with them and support all their demands.

Meanwhiel, Chief Minister Hemant Soren has continued to defend his government's handling of the issue, reaffirming his pledge to cancel the 14th JPSC examination and insisting that recruitment reforms remain a priority for his administration. He has simultaneously accused the BJP of attempting to exploit the protests for political mileage.