Shortly after the Jharkhand government announced cancellation of all exams and recruitments made for government jobs, including the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Committee-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) exams, besides ordering a CID investigation into all the selections going back till 2014, student leaders said the agitation would continue till their demand for a CBI probe is accepted.
“The demand for a CBI investigation has not yet been accepted, and until the demand for a CBI probe is met, we will continue our movement,” said student leader Ravindra Paswan. “We have won a major battle, but there’s still more to this. We want to thank the Chief Minister for finally hearing our demand after 24 days, but the question remains that until there is a CBI investigation, we will continue our hunger strike,” he said.
“All the mistakes, big or small, that have occurred since 2014 will be investigated. The CID will probe all exams held in Jharkhand since 2014. We have decided to constitute a committee for reforms under the chairmanship of IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal,” Soren has said.
The students are also demanding reforms in the exam system, besides action over alleged irregularities in examinations conducted by the JPSC and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). The cancelation of JSSC-CGL examinations was one of their key demands.
Mahto ends fast, to launch second phase of agitation
However, student leader Devendra Nath Mahto ended his hunger strike in the presence of Jharkhand ministers Deepika Pandey and Irfan Ansari, who offered him a glass of juice at Sadar Hospital, Ranchi. Mahto said he would launch the second phase of the agitation for “corruption-free recruitments”.
He said the students would continue to back efforts to eliminate corruption from the examination system. “We want a system that can prevent paper leaks and other irregularities in the future,” he added.
JSSC-CGL cancellation sparks another protest
Candidates who cleared the JSSC-CGL examination protested at Project Bhawan in Ranchi against the state government's decision to cancel the exam. They demanded that the decision be withdrawn and said they would continue their fight through legal and democratic means.
The protesting candidates said the decision, which would affect more than 2,000 of them, had left them uncertain about their future. They urged the government to reconsider the move and demanded that any alleged irregularities be investigated and action be taken only against those found responsible.
“Following the government's decision, I am left on the streets. I would like to tell my mother and father--please, have patience. We will win again. We will also appeal to the government: please withdraw this decision you have made,” said a protester.
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