Jharkhand: Protesting Students Breach Barricades, Determined to Besiege Assembly

Protests Escalate Over Recruitment Exam Irregularities

In Jharkhand, a student protest against alleged irregularities in examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) turned violent on Monday. A group of students attempting to surround the state assembly broke through two layers of barbed wire barricades erected by the police.

Despite the use of water cannons, the demonstrators remained steadfast in their demands, continuously pushing forward. Protesters even attempted to breach a sixth layer of barricades, escalating the tension between the police and students. The students are determined to continue their agitation until concrete decisions are made on their demands, posing a significant challenge to the administration in maintaining security and law and order at the assembly complex.

Talks Fail, Protests Intensify

Negotiations held on Sunday between the government and representatives of the protesting students failed to yield any results. The government claimed that approximately 98 percent of their demands had been accepted. However, the students stated that no clear and concrete decisions have yet been made on their core demands, fueling the escalation of the protest on Monday.

Key Student Demands

The protesting students are demanding a CBI investigation into alleged discrepancies in the state's recruitment exams. Additionally, they are calling for:

• Cancellation of JSSC CGL, JSSC JE, and PGT examinations conducted after 2019.
• Strict action against those responsible.
• Public disclosure of category-wise cutoffs and OMR sheets.
• Issuance of a recruitment calendar on the lines of UPSC and SSC.

Devendra Nath Mahato, a prominent protest leader who had been on a hunger strike for nine days, was brought to the assembly siege in an ambulance. He warned the government that while they could stop the students, they could not ignore their demands.

Currently, protesters are continuously breaking barricades and advancing towards the assembly, while the administration is striving to stop them.