Jharkhand: One student-led protest ends, only to spark another
On Monday, the government of the eastern state of Jharkhand announced the cancellation of JSSC-CGL exams and all recruitment tests conducted by an outsourced agency in over the past decade — a key demand by a group of students protesting since the end of July over irregularities in the system.
The decision has now sparked another protest in the state, this time led by students who had already cleared the exam.
What led to the initial protest?
The initial trigger was the latest JPSC civil services examination, which advertised just 103 government posts. More than 2,000 candidates qualified for the next stage when the results were announced in early July.
Then, an answer sheet began circulating online that apparently showed 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.
After multiple rounds of talks between protesters and the state government, Chief Minister Hemant Soren agreed to cancel the contentious exam, even though the recruitment process had reached an advanced stage, with some candidates already securing placements.
Indian politician Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday hailed the "understanding" between protesters and the state. "An understanding has been reached between the students of Jharkhand and the state government, and the students have ended their hunger strike – it was heartening to hear this news," Gandhi said in a post on X.
झारखंड के छात्रों और राज्य सरकार के बीच सहमति बनी, और छात्रों ने अपनी भूख हड़ताल समाप्त की - यह ख़बर सुनकर बहुत खुशी हुई।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 18, 2026
मुख्यमंत्री हेमंत सोरेन जी और झारखंड सरकार ने बातचीत का रास्ता चुना, और समाधान निकाला। छात्रों ने संयम रखा, और अपनी बात मनवाई।
यही सही तरीक़ा है - छात्र… https://t.co/MCDYdkM8Ws
Gandhi's Indian National Congress is the main opposition party to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party which recently came under criticism from students over failed national-level entrance exams. The INC, which has been lobbying against Modi's BJP on education, is currently in alliance with Soren's regional ruling party.
Selected candidates fear job loss
"Tell us our crime. Don't throw us out," said one of the successful candidates who camped outside the Jharkhand Secretariat on Tuesday, Press Trust of India reported.
#WATCH | Ranchi, Jharkhand: Government employees appointed through the JSSC-CGL recruitment process stand in protest in the rain outside the state secretariat (Project Bhawan). The demonstration follows the state cabinet's decision to cancel the JSSC-CGL examination. pic.twitter.com/ebnzB4fkWM
— ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2026
The new set of protesters told Indian media that they were not opposed to investigations into the alleged irregularities. But they demanded a fair opportunity to defend themselves and their placements.
The affected candidates are now calling for the exam to be investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) rather than cancelled. ALSO READ: Jharkhand: Hemant Soren Cancels JSSC-CGL, TDPL Exams; Orders Probe Since 2014; Students End Hnger Strike
