Jharkhand protests: Hemant Soren accepts students’ demands as state Cabinet cancels JSSC-CGL exam

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday accepted the key demands of protesting students and announced that the state Cabinet had decided to cancel the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination, in a major setback for the recruitment process amid allegations of irregularities.

The decision came after weeks of protests by students and government job aspirants in Jharkhand, who have been demanding action over alleged irregularities in state recruitment examinations.

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The protesters had also sought cancellation and re-conduct of the preliminary civil services examination and a probe into alleged malpractice in recruitment tests.

Addressing the issue in Ranchi, Soren said the government had decided to scrap all activities associated with TDPL, including examinations, results and selections.

"Addressing all aspects of the issue, we have decided to cancel everything associated with TDPL—including the examinations conducted, the results published, the candidates selected or who participated, and all other activities carried out by TDPL."

The protests began in late July and intensified after candidates raised allegations of irregularities in recruitment examinations. Students had demanded an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and a fast-track court to deal with cases related to alleged malpractice.

The controversy had widened following the publication of preliminary civil services examination results, with some candidates questioning the results and alleging possible manipulation. The state government had earlier said that allegations were being investigated by its Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

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The protests have drawn support from political parties and youth groups, adding to pressure on the Soren government to address the concerns of job aspirants.

Soren's announcement on Monday effectively accepts the protesters' demand for action on the disputed recruitment process, with the Cabinet decision now paving the way for the examination and related outcomes to be scrapped.