Jharkhand JPSC-JSSC Protest Enters 14th Day; No Resolution Yet as Students Set August 10 Deadline

Ranchi: The protest by students and job aspirants in Jharkhand over alleged irregularities in public service examinations has entered its second week. The agitation is being held at the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi under the banner of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms March.

The protesters are demanding the cancellation of the 14th JPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination, an independent and impartial investigation into alleged examination irregularities and comprehensive reforms in the functioning of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).

Meanwhile, Efforts to resolve the ongoing dispute over alleged irregularities in Jharkhand's recruitment examinations yielded no concrete breakthrough on Friday, even as the first formal round of talks between the state government and student protesters concluded amicably. The agitators have now set August 10 as their deadline, warning of a march to the state Assembly if their demands go unaddressed.

A ten-member team representing the JPSC/JSSC Reforms Manch sat down with a ministerial delegation led by Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar at Ranchi's State Guest House on Friday evening. Though officials promised sympathetic consideration of the students' grievances, the protesters made it clear that nothing short of concrete action by Sunday would prevent them from proceeding with their planned Assembly march.

Earlier Friday, the Reforms Manch had been forced to reconstitute its negotiating panel after the government objected to the inclusion of a lawyer and two technical experts in its original 11-member lineup. The reshaped delegation now comprises student representatives including Ravindra Paswan, Piyush Kumar, Rajesh Prasad, Neetu Kujur, Ankit Raj, Kartik Soren and Shalu Kumari.

Elsewhere, Left-affiliated student groups AISA and AISF staged their own march toward the Assembly in support of the agitation.

Meanwhile, reports have emerged that Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), may visit the protest site. The organisation had earlier extended its support to the students' agitation.

Dipke's reported visit could add a new political dimension to the protests, particularly after CJP's involvement in the agitation against irregularities in the NEET examination. The organisation has sought to position itself as a platform supporting student-led campaigns for examination reforms and transparency.

The Jharkhand government's willingness to engage with the protesters comes as the agitation continues to put pressure on the authorities over demands for accountability and reforms in the state's recruitment examination system.