2026 Jharkhand student protests

2026 Jharkhand student protests
Part of student protests in India
A large gathering of student protesters and job aspirants demonstrating on the streets of Jharkhand
Date29 July 2026 – present
Location
Ranchi and other parts of Jharkhand, India
Caused byAlleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC recruitment examinations
GoalsCancellation of the 14th JPSC Preliminary Examination; CBI or judicial inquiry into the alleged irregularities; transparent recruitment process
MethodsDemonstrations, sit-ins, hunger strike, marches and rallies
StatusOngoing
Result
  • State government agreed to cancel three examinations, ED probe into financial irregularities of 14th JPSC exam and resignation of the three JPSC members on 9 August[1]
  • Cancellation of JSSC-CGL and 21 other examinations, six placed on hold, and 17 put under police investigation on 18 August[2]
  • Setting up of a committee for suggesting reforms in state examinations
  • Overturning of cancellations of several examinations by the Jharkhand High Court[3]
Parties

Student protesters

  • JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch
Lead figures

Devendra Nath Mahto
Ravindra Paswan
Piyush Kumar Singh[4]

Casualties and losses
  • Multiple students injured
  • 14 police personnel injured (per Jharkhand Police)[5]

The 2026 Jharkhand student protests are state-wide student protests being held in Jharkhand, which started over alleged irregularities in the recruitment examinations of Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), transparency in the examination management and recruitment process. The candidates in the movement demanded a fair investigation of the controversial examinations, action against the culprits and ensuring a transparent recruitment process. The protests were held mainly in various parts of the state including Ranchi, which included events like dharna, demonstration, padyatra and indefinite hunger strike. The movement also received support from various student organizations, social organizations and many political leaders.[6][7][8][9][10] One of the major areas of dispute is the conducting of examinations by TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL), an IT firm which was blacklisted in 2024.[11]

Chronology

  • 29 July 2026: Candidates began a sit-in at Ranchi's Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium to protest alleged irregularities in the JPSC exam.[12][13]
  • 2 August 2026: Student leader and Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) leader Devendra Nath Mahto began an indefinite hunger strike to support the protesters.[14][15]
  • 5 August 2026: On the 12th day of the agitation, students announced a Tiranga March and a gherao of the Jharkhand Assembly on August 10.[16]
  • 6 August 2026: The monsoon session of the Jharkhand Assembly began amid opposition protests and student agitation over the JPSC-JSSC recruitment exam controversy. Police detained 19 people during the demonstration.[17]
  • 7 August 2026: The agitation entered its 14th day. The students' hunger strike continued, an 11-member delegation prepared for talks with the government, and the movement also received political support.[18][19]
  • 11 August 2026: Bharatiya Janata Party – Jharkhand enforced a statewide bandh in protest against alleged "police atrocities" during the student march on 10 August.[24] More than 200 members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) were detained by the police during their attempted march towards the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly to protest the lathi charge against students. A clash was triggered between the group and the police after some ABVP workers tried to stop a van carrying the detained members.[25][26]
  • 15 August 2026: The protesters took out a Tiranga Yatra on the occasion of Independence Day in Ranchi. Mahto stated that the Jharkhand Police forcefully prevented him from joining the procession.[27] The JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch later demanded the resignation of Hemant Soren, called on INC leader Rahul Gandhi to withdraw from the coalition with Soren, and threatened to besiege the Chief Minister's residence of August 20 if their demands regarding the examinations weren't met.[28]
  • 16 August 2026: Protesters burnt effigies of Hemant Soren, Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav, the leaders of the parties in the coalition government, in Ranchi and other parts of Jharkhand.[29]
  • 17 August 2026: The Jharkhand government agreed to cancel the JSSC-CGL examination and all other examinations conducted by the blacklisted firm TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL) since 2014. Ravindra Paswan, the leader of JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, however stated that the protests would continue as their demand of a CBI investigation was not met.[30] Mahto later ended his fast in presence of state ministers Dipika Pandey Singh and Irfan Ansari.[31][32]
  • 18 August 2026: Candidates who had cleared the JSSC-CGL examination held a counter-protest outside the Jharkhand Secretariat building, asking the government to not cancel the examination.[33]
  • 19 August 2026: The protest was suspended for two months, with the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch giving time to the Jharkhand government to act on their assurances.[34]
  • 20 August 2026: After the cancellation of some of the examinations was overturned by the Jharkhand High Court, leaders of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch accused the stage government of deceiving them and threatened to resume the protests. They also announced that they would burn effigies of Soren across Jharkhand on 21 August.[35]
  • 21 August 2026: Protesters burnt effigies of Soren and Gandhi. In Ranchi, the protesters clashed with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha workers and the Jharkhand Police. JMM also clashed with the protesters in Hazaribagh and Giridih.[36] Mahto stated that the protesters would launch the "Bharti Vyavastha Sudhar Yatra" ("Recruitment System Reform Yatra") on 24 August.[37]
  • 24 August 2026: Mahto launched the JPSC-JSSC Recruitment System Reform Yatra at Nemra village in Ramgarh district, the ancestral home of former chief minister Shibu Soren. The yatra intended to cover all districts of Jharkhand.[38]

Demands

The protesting students and candidates placed several demands before the Jharkhand government. These included canceling the 14th JPSC preliminary examination, conducting a CBI or judicial inquiry into alleged irregularities and question paper leaks in the recruitment examinations, ensuring transparency and accountability in the JPSC and JSSC recruitment processes, and adopting a fair and timely process for future recruitment examinations. The protesters also demanded that action be taken against those allegedly involved in the recruitment process and that the interests of eligible candidates be protected.[39][40][17][41][42][43]

Government response

In response to the student movement, the Jharkhand government initiated talks with representatives of the protesting students. An 11-member delegation was formed to negotiate between the government and the protesters. During this meeting, the state government pledged to consider complaints related to recruitment examinations and seek solutions through dialogue. Meanwhile, protection was tightened in Ranchi during the protest, and additional police forces were deployed in anticipation of the protests during the monsoon session of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly.[44][18][45][46]

The activities of TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL), an IT firm which was blacklisted in 2024, are a major focus of the police investigation as it was allowed to conduct the examinations in 2025 and 2026.[11] The Jharkhand Crime Investigation Department (CID) has detained at least 20 individuals in the investigation against the alleged irregularities, including former JPSC chairperson L. Khiangte and TDPL director Ramvir Singh.[47]

The Jharkhand Police used lathi charge, tear gas and water cannons against protesters on 10 August during their march to the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly.[21] The state police alleged that some of the protesters had turned violent, attempting to break through the barricades and engaging in stone pelting.[48][49][50] FIRs were filed against 39 named person and 900 unnamed persons for clashes between the police and the protesters on 21 August.[51]

The Jharkhand Government on 17 August agreed to cancel the JSSC-CGL examination as well as all examinations conducted by TDPL since 2014, while announcing that a committee headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal would be set up for suggesting reforms in the examinations in the state.[30][52] As a result, 22 past examinations were cancelled, six were put on hold and 17 were placed under investigation by the Jharkhand CID.[2]

On 20 August, the cancellations of the 11th to 13th JPSC examinations and the Food Safety Officer examination were stayed by the Jharkhand High Court.[53] On the following day, the court also stayed the cancellations of the JSSC-CGL and the Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) examinations.[3]

Political reactions

Various political parties and leaders expressed their reactions to the protests. Opposition parties demanded an impartial investigation into alleged irregularities in the recruitment exams and consideration of the candidates' demands. Several leaders met with the protesting students and expressed their support. Meanwhile, the state government advocated for a solution through dialogue and appealed to the students for talks.[54][45][8]

Impact

As a result of the movement, the issue of transparency and fairness of recruitment examinations in Jharkhand became a major topic of statewide political and public discourse. This controversy also led to the issue of alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations being raised prominently in the monsoon session of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly. During the movement, a dialogue process began between the state government and protesting students, and the students formed an 11-member delegation to negotiate with the government. The movement also sparked widespread discussion about the state's recruitment system, examination management, and the need for reforms.[55][56][57][58]

Reactions

The movement received support from various student organizations, social activists, and political leaders. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi expressed concern over alleged irregularities in the recruitment exams and stressed the need to address students' demands and reform the education and recruitment systems. Meanwhile, the state government vowed to continue dialogue with students.[54][59][17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Jharkhand agrees to cancel 3 examinations; all 3 JPSC members resign". The Indian Express. 10 August 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  2. 1 2 Mandhani, Apoorva (2026-08-19). "22 exams cancelled, 6 on hold, 17 under enquiry: Jharkhand govt's olive branch to protesting students". ThePrint. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
  3. 1 2 "Jharkhand High Court stays cancellation of JSSC CGL, CDPO exams ordered by Hemant Soren govt". Hindustan Times. 2026-08-21. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  4. ↑ Ranjan, Mukesh (18 August 2026). "Jharkhand students to continue agitation despite JSSC-CGL exam cancellation". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  5. ↑ "AppJharkhand Protest: Police Say "Mild Lathi-Charge" Used, 14 Cops Injured". Press Trust of India. NDTV. 11 August 2026. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  6. ↑ Srivastava, Vijaya (2 August 2026). "'Cancel JPSC exam': Jharkhand students continue protest, seek CBI investigation". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 2 August 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  7. ↑ "Jharkhand protest: Students to march to Assembly on August 7 over JPSC, JSSC corruption". The Week. 5 August 2026. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Jharkhand protest: Students form 11-member panel for talks with Hemant Soren government". Careers360. 6 August 2026. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  9. ↑ Bhelari, Amit (6 August 2026). "Protesting students form 11-member team to hold talks with Jharkhand government". The Hindu. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  10. ↑ Rai, Raman (6 August 2026). "How Jharkhand Student Protests Are Different From Agitation At Delhi's Jantar Mantar: CJP, Devendra Nath Mahto". NDTV. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  11. 1 2 Kumar, Mayank (6 August 2026). "Blacklisted firm in eye of Jharkhand exam row never bid for contract. It was 'nominated', probe reveals". ThePrint. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  12. ↑ "Thousands of students protest in Ranchi over alleged irregularities in JPSC, JSSC exams". ThePrint. Press Trust of India. 29 July 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  13. ↑ Bhelari, Amit (6 August 2026). "Why are the students protesting in Ranchi?Explained". The Hindu. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "Jharkhand Exam Protest Escalates as Student Begins Hunger Strike". Press Trust of India. Deccan Chronicle. 3 August 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  15. ↑ "Sonam Wangchuk urges Jharkhand exam protester to drink water as hunger strike enters fourth day; five more join fast". Press Trust of India. The Telegraph. 5 August 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  16. ↑ "Jharkhand JPSC-JSSC protest enters Day 12: Students plan Tiranga March, Assembly gherao on August 10". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 August 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  17. 1 2 3 ASRP Mukesh (6 August 2026). "Monsoon session of Jharkhand Assembly begins amid opposition protests over JPSC-JSSC exam irregularities". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 6 August 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  18. 1 2 "Jharkhand protestors form 11-member panel for talks with government over recruitment exam row". The Economic Times. 6 August 2026. Archived from the original on 6 August 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  19. ↑ Chatterjee, Akash; Kumar, Satyajeet (3 August 2026). "Ranchi's Jantar Mantar moment: Student protest enters new phase with CJP backing". India Today. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  20. ↑ "'Govt. will have to listen to us': Devendra Nath Mahato joins 'Vidhan Sabha gherao' march". The Hindu. 10 August 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  21. 1 2 ""My Head Is Bleeding": Student Protester Injured In Police Lathicharge In Jharkhand". NDTV. 10 August 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  22. ↑ "Jharkhand exam row: JLKM leader Devendra Nath Mahto hospitalised after 9-day hunger strike". The Times of India. 10 August 2026. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  23. ↑ "Jharkhand CID arrests ex-JPSC chairperson over alleged irregularities in recruitment exams". Press Trust of India. The Hindu. 10 August 2026. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  24. ↑ "Jharkhand bandh: Normal life hit as BJP protests police action against job aspirants". Press Trust of India. The Telegraph. 11 August 2026. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  25. ↑ "Jharkhand protest: 110 ABVP workers detained amid clashes with police". The Times of India. 11 August 2026. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  26. ↑ Tigga, Shubham (11 August 2026). "Jharkhand: 200 ABVP activists detained during march against lathi-charge on protesters". The Indian Express. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  27. ↑ "Jharkhand job aspirants take out 'Tiranga Yatra' in Ranchi on day 22 of exam protest". Press Trust of India. The Print. 15 August 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  28. ↑ Kant, Vishal (16 August 2026). "Jharkhand protesters threaten to gherao CM Soren's residence, demand his resignation". The Hindustan Times. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  29. ↑ "JPSC-JSSC aspirants burn effigies of Soren, Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi over exam row, threaten CM house siege". The New Indian Express. 16 August 2026. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  30. 1 2 "Jharkhand government cancels JSSC-CGL exam, all exams conducted by tainted firm". The Hindu. 18 August 2026. Retrieved 18 August 2026.
  31. ↑ "Jharkhand protests: Devendra Nath Mahto ends hunger strike after 16 days". www.bbc.com. 2026-08-18. Retrieved 2026-08-18.
  32. ↑ "'Huge victory for Jharkhand': Student leader Mahto ends 16-day hunger strike after Soren govt accepts demands". The Times of India. 18 August 2026. Retrieved 18 August 2026.
  33. ↑ "Jharkhand protest: Will launch Phase 2 stir for corruption-free job exams, Devendra Mahto says; three protesters continue hunger strike". The Hindu. 18 August 2026. Retrieved 18 August 2026.
  34. ↑ Mandhani, Apoorva (19 August 2026). "Jharkhand students pause protest for 2 months after Hemant Soren govt cancels 22 exams". ThePrint. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  35. ↑ Ranjan, Mukesh (20 August 2026). "JPSC-JSSC aspirants warn of fresh stir after HC stays Jharkhand's exam cancellation, to burn Soren effigies". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  36. ↑ "Jharkhand exam protesters attempt to burn CM's effigies, clash with police in Ranchi". Press Trust of India. Deccan Herald. 21 August 2026. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  37. ↑ "Jharkhand govt not defending cases in HC on exam cancellation: Student leader Devendra Mahato". Press Trust of India. ThePrint. 21 August 2026. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  38. ↑ "JPSC-JSSC Aspirants' Yatra Starts In Ramgarh, Villagers Protest Against Mahto's Campaign". The Free Press Journal. 24 August 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  39. ↑ "Transparency must be brought: Jharkhand students continue indefinite Satyagraha over alleged JPSC, JSSC irregularities". The Times of India. 31 July 2026. Archived from the original on 31 July 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  40. ↑ Kumar, Mayank (3 August 2026). "Jharkhand students are protesting 'cycle of paper leaks'. It began with a viral answer sheet". ThePrint. Archived from the original on 3 August 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  41. ↑ "Explained Why are Jharkhand students protesting? Inside the JPSC, JSSC recruitment row". Deccan Herald. 3 August 2026. Archived from the original on 4 August 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  42. ↑ Ehraj, Faham (31 July 2026). "AJSU Protest Over 14th JPSC Exam Row Triggers Demand for CBI Probe and Reforms". Jagran Josh. Archived from the original on 31 July 2026.
  43. ↑ Bains, Kanchan (5 August 2026). "Jharkhand Student Protest: JPSC-JSSC recruitment row explained". Nav Bharat Journal. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  44. ↑ Dharmadhikari, Siddhi (6 August 2026). "Jharkhand students' protest: 11-member delegation formed for talks with govt". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 6 August 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  45. 1 2 Srivastava, Subhadra (7 August 2026). "Jharkand student protest Day 14: Hunger strike continues as BJP, Rahul Gandhi back students". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 7 August 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  46. ↑ Warli, Lairenlakpam (7 August 2026). "'We are children, not terrorists': Students on hunger strike urge Jharkhand CM to meet protesters". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 7 August 2026.
  47. ↑ Kumar, Prabhakar; Sharma, Haribansh (13 August 2026). "70 Lakhs, Fixed Interviews: Arrested Official's Jharkhand Job 'Scam' Revelation". NDTV. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  48. ↑ Pasha, Dilnawaz; Sachdev, Anahita (10 August 2026). "India police fire tear gas at protesters seeking exam reforms". BBC. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  49. ↑ MacRae, Penelope (2026-08-10). "Police use teargas on young Indians as government jobs protest escalates". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-08-18.
  50. ↑ "Indian police use tear gas and batons to disperse youth protest over exam paper leaks". NBC News. 2026-08-11. Retrieved 2026-08-18.
  51. ↑ "FIRs filed against 39 named, 900 unnamed people over police-students clash in Jharkhand's Giridih, Hazaribag". The New Indian Express. 2026-08-23. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  52. ↑ "Jharkhand now cancels JSSC-CGL exam, CM orders probe into errors since 2014". The Indian Express. 2026-08-18. Retrieved 2026-08-18.
  53. ↑ Mukherjee, Chandrajit (2026-08-20). "Jharkhand HC stays cancellation of 11th, 13th JPSC exams, 56 food safety officer recruitment". The Times of India. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  54. 1 2 Ghildiyal, Subodh (7 August 2026). "Rahul reaches out to Gen Z, backs student stir in Jharkhand". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 7 August 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  55. ↑ Tigga, Shubham (27 July 2026). "JPSC Exam Controversy: Why recruitment exams in Jharkhand have faced scrutiny". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 27 July 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  56. ↑ "JPSC-JSSC को भ्रष्टाचार मुक्त बनाने की मांग, 7 अगस्त को विधानसभा मार्च". Dainik Jagran. 5 August 2026. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  57. ↑ "Students continue protests in Ranchi over alleged JPSC, JSSC exam irregularities, demand CBI probe". The Hindu. 3 August 2026. Archived from the original on 3 August 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  58. ↑ "जेपीएससी-जेएससीसी परीक्षा विवाद को लेकर हेमंत सरकार से बातचीत करेंगे छात्र". Navbharat Times. 7 August 2026. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  59. ↑ Srivastava, Subhadra (6 August 2026). "'We are with students': Kharge's first reaction on Jharkhand student protests". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 7 August 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.