Jharkhand Exam Protest: Students and Government Meet for Second Round of Talks
Ranchi, Jharkhand – The second round of talks between the students of the JPSC-JSSC Aspirant Nyay Manch and the Jharkhand government is underway at the State Guest House in Ranchi. An eight-member delegation of students from the Manch is holding face-to-face discussions with the delegation appointed by the state government.
Student Protest Enters 15th Day
The students associated with the Manch have been protesting continuously since July 5, following the exposure of alleged irregularities in the 14th Civil Services Preliminary Examination by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) on July 2. Their indefinite agitation has entered its 15th day, with student leader Devendra Nath Mahato on a hunger strike in support of the protesting aspirants.
Key Demands of the Students
The eight-member student delegation, comprising Chandan Kumar, Deenbandhu Mandal, Ravi Shankar, Prem Kumar, Pooja Kumari, Ramavatar Mahato, Bimal Kumar, and Amit Kumar Sharma, is presenting its memorandum and demands before the government. The students are demanding that all examinations conducted by the TDPL agency be cancelled and an inquiry be conducted into the alleged irregularities.
Government Delegation
Four ministers from the Jharkhand government, including Chamara Linda, Sudibya Kumar Sonu, Deepika Pandey Singh, and Sanjay Prasad Yadav, participated in the first round of talks. Development Commissioner Ajay Kumar Singh was also present during the meeting.
Positive Discussions, No Final Agreement
The first formal round of talks between the government and the protesting students was held on Friday evening at the State Guest House in Morabadi. The meeting continued for around one and a half hours and concluded at 9:25 p.m. Student representatives described the discussions as positive, but the meeting failed to produce a final agreement between the two sides.
Student Leader’s Plea
Speaking to IANS, student leader Devendra Nath Mahato said, “Thank everyone who is supporting this movement. I am having difficulty speaking for long. The protest, which began on July 5, has continued till now. Our demand is that all examinations conducted by the TDPL agency be cancelled and an inquiry be conducted.”
Rapper Suraj Tylon’s Support
Rapper Suraj Tylon, who has been supporting the students, said, “The students are demanding that the JSSC examination be cancelled. There should be transparency in the examination and its results. Everything, including how the cutoff was set, should be clarified.”
Agitation to Continue
The students have maintained that their agitation will continue until their demands are addressed and the government takes concrete steps towards resolving the alleged irregularities in the recruitment examination process.
Will the Government Meet the Students’ Demands?
As the second round of talks is underway, attention is now focused on whether the government and the student delegation can reach common ground on the demands that have kept the JPSC-JSSC aspirants protesting at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium for the past 15 days. Only time will tell if the government will meet the students’ demands and bring an end to the ongoing agitation.