The Jharkhand government has agreed to cancel the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) preliminary examination and the JPSC backlog examinations held in 2023 and 2025, following six hours of discussions with protesting student groups on Sunday. The decision came after talks between the government and the students, led by Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) and JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch. However, the students remained firm on their demand for a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the JSSC-CGL examination and said the agitation would continue, including a march to the Jharkhand Assembly on Monday.
The announcement came even as all three JPSC members resigned and Chief Minister Hemant Soren assured protesters that “justice will be delivered with full transparency.” The State’s Technical and Higher Education Minister Sudivya Kumar said the government has accepted “98% of the demands.” He added that the State cannot recommend a CBI probe into JSSC-CGL exams as they don’t have jurisdiction over JSSC-CGL exams that happened in line with High court and Supreme court directions. Instead, a committee will be formed under a retired judge for a judicial probe and the CID will investigate the criminal angle. The protesting groups want cancellation of JSSC-CGL and all exams connected to the TSR Data Processing Private Limited Agency, a blacklisted entity.
A four-member committee of State Ministers informed the protesting groups that a fast-track court will be established for the speedy disposal of cases on the alleged exam irregularities. The court will file a charge-sheet within 90 days, Minister Kumar said. He also mentioned that a panel will also be formed with experts drawn from IIT-ISM Dhanbad, IIM Ranchi and XLRI Jamshedpur to suggest examination reforms.
However, the student delegation members expressed dissatisfaction with the resolution, saying it was “unacceptable.” They demanded the cancellation of the exam and then the investigation. The talks started around noon, and the delegation members returned to the protest site at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium around 6:30 p.m. The agitation is expected to continue, with protesters from all over the State joining the march to the Jharkhand Assembly on Monday.
Five aspirants continued their indefinite hunger strike, including Devendra Mahto, whose hunger strike entered the eighth day. The student delegation members also said there was “no clarity over the timeline.”
