After nearly two weeks of continuous protests over alleged irregularities in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) recruitment process, the Hemant Soren government has initiated talks with agitating students. However, the protesters have made it clear that they will participate in discussions only if the entire process is conducted openly and in the presence of the media.
The agitation, which started after the declaration of the JPSC Preliminary Examination results, has now become one of the largest student-led protests in Jharkhand in recent years.
State Government Sets Up Committee for Dialogue
As pressure mounted, the Jharkhand government formed a committee of ministers and senior officials to engage with the protesting students.
Ranchi Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Kumar Rajat visited the protest site and informed students that the government was ready to listen to their concerns. He requested the protesters to nominate a small delegation to represent them during the discussions.
Officials also assured students that complaints related to the recruitment examination were already being investigated by the concerned agencies.
Students Insist on Open Discussions
The protesters refused to attend closed-door meetings, saying transparency is essential to regain the confidence of job aspirants.
Student leaders demanded that every round of talks should be held before television cameras and members of the media so that the public could witness the discussions and any commitments made by the government.
They also clarified that the ongoing protest would continue until concrete decisions were announced.
Hunger Strike Continues
Student leader Devendra Mahato, who has been observing a hunger strike for several days, said the movement would not end simply because dialogue had begun.
According to him, the students are prepared to send representatives for discussions, but they will continue their sit-in and hunger strike until their demands are accepted and implemented.
CID Intensifies Investigation
While students continue demanding a CBI investigation, the state government has maintained that the CID is already conducting a comprehensive probe.
In a significant development, the CID arrested Rakshak Singh, an accountant associated with the private agency responsible for conducting the recruitment examination.
Investigators said he was involved in organising the examination and had also cleared the same JPSC preliminary test.
Officials confirmed that several other arrests have also been made, taking the total number of arrests in the case to 20.
The investigation is being carried out by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is analysing electronic records, candidate data and other evidence.
Political Parties React to the Protest
The protest has also become a political issue.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) announced its support for the students, saying the movement represents a broader demand for accountability in public institutions.
Meanwhile, the BJP criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for not commenting on the issue and questioned the silence of the ruling alliance in Jharkhand.
Responding to the criticism, Jharkhand Minister Irfan Ansari said the government has already begun the dialogue process and would carefully consider the students’ demands. He added that reasonable demands would be accepted after discussions.
Protest to Continue Until Decision Is Taken
Even as communication between the government and students has begun, the protesters remain firm on continuing their agitation.
They say the movement will only end after the government announces concrete action on their demands, including complete transparency in the recruitment process and accountability for those responsible for the alleged irregularities.