Student Leader Mahto Announces Second Phase Agitation As Aspirants' Protest Enters 25th Day

Ranchi: Even as job aspirants and students celebrated after the Jharkhand government conceded almost all their demands, prompting student leader Devendra Kumar Mahto to end his 16-day hunger strike, a section of students continued their protest on Tuesday, demanding a CBI probe into exam leak irregularities.

Jharkhand cancels recruitment exams

After a special cabinet meeting on Monday, Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced the cancellation of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) exam, and all recruitment conducted through the outsourcing agency, TDPL (TSR Data Processing Private Limited).

Meanwhile, JLKM leader Devendra Mahto announced that he would soon launch the second phase of the demonstration for corruption-free recruitment by JPSC and JSSC. He said the demonstration will continue until the "government guarantees no paper leaks or irregularities in future recruitment examinations."

He told newspersons the demonstration will continue until the government guarantees no paper leak or irregularities in future recruitment examinations.

Protest to continue

“I have ended my hunger strike, not the protest. The agitation will continue until the government gives a guarantee that no paper leak or irregularities will take place in recruitment examinations. We will soon launch the second phase of our protest, demanding corruption-free recruitment in JPSC and JSSC examinations,” he asserted.

The second round of the stir will be launched under the banner of JPSC-JSSC Abhiyarthi Reform Manch, headed by Mahto.

Mahto ended his hunger strike around Monday midnight after Soren's announcements. Activist Sonam Wangchuk spoke with Mahto via video call.

“We demand that the government form a monitoring committee for reforms. We also sought a complete audit, not just a financial audit; there should be an audit at every step,” he added.

He also urged the government to "enact a law if necessary to prevent practices like paper leaks and irregularities in the recruitment examinations".

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Candidates oppose cancellation

Meanwhile, around 2,000 successful candidates of the JSSC-CGL examination are apprehensive of losing their jobs after the government's decision to cancel the exam itself. A large number of them staged a counter-protest outside the state Secretariat, or Project Bhawan, in Ranchi.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi appealed to protesting students to persist with their demand for a CBI probe into alleged recruitment irregularities, saying the state government’s decision to scrap the JSSC-CGL and other “tainted” examinations would not ensure justice without an independent investigation.