Jharkhand exam protest: Students submit fresh panel for talks with govt

Ranchi: Students protesting alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations in Jharkhand on Friday submitted a fresh 10-member panel to the state government for talks to resolve the issue.

The new list was sent after the government objected to the previous 11-member panel, which included an advocate and two technical experts, said the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, under which the agitation is being carried out.

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Members of the new delegation are student leaders Ravindra Paswan, Piyush Kumar, Rajesh Prasad, Neetu Kujur, Ankit Raj, Kartik Soren, Shalu Kumari, Ravindra Kumar Ravi, Anand Kumar and Ankit Kumar.

The protest over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations entered its 14th day on Friday, with six demonstrators continuing their hunger strike. Two student organisations also held a march to the state assembly during the day.

The new list was submitted after the state Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar, who is a member of the five-member government committee constituted to hold talks with the students, objected to the inclusion of an advocate in the delegation.

On Thursday, the Manch had formed an 11-member delegation comprising eight students, two experts and an advocate after the state government offered to hold talks over the agitation.

The decision to engage in talks came a day after Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the government's doors were open for discussions with the protesters.

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A five-member government committee, comprising ministers Dipika Pandey Singh and Sudivya Kumar, Chamra Linda, Sanjay Prasad and Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Ajoy Kumar Singh, is likely to hold talks with the students later in the day.

The protesters have been demanding cancellation of the 14th JPSC Civil Services Examination and an independent probe into the alleged irregularities either by the CBI or by a panel of retired high court judges from outside the state.

"This agitation belongs to students and the government is ready to talk to them. If the BJP or Jharkhand's coaching mafia wants to hijack the agitation, the government will not allow that to happen," Kumar told reporters outside the assembly.