Jharkhand Student Protest: Thousands Of Students Storm Assembly Premises After Toppling Police Barricades | VIDEO

Ranchi: The ongoing protest by JPSC and JSSC aspirants in Jharkhand intensified on Monday as students marching towards the state Assembly breached multiple police barricades, despite heavy security arrangements in Ranchi. The protesters were met with water cannons as they pushed ahead towards the Assembly premises. The use of water cannons, however, did not stop the demonstrators from moving closer to the high-security area.

Visuals from the protest showed students climbing over police barricades as the Assembly march gathered momentum. The march was part of the ongoing agitation by aspirants demanding action over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).

Students continue protest over recruitment exams

The agitation has been continuing for more than two weeks, with students raising concerns over examination irregularities and demanding reforms in the recruitment system. The protesters have also been seeking cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination.

Talks between representatives of the protesting students and the state government over the past few days failed to break the deadlock. The students subsequently decided to march towards the Vidhan Sabha on August 10.

Ahead of the march, the administration had imposed restrictions around the Assembly and deployed additional security personnel. Multiple layers of barricading were put up to prevent protesters from entering the high-security zone.

According to ANI reports, Devendra Nath Mahto, the leader of the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM), attended the JPSC-JSCC Reform Morcha's "Vidhan Sabha Gherao" march against the purported anomalies in the test and declared that the state government "will have to listen to the students' demands."

Student leader Mahto said, "The barbed wires will not be able to stop us despite being on hunger strike," while holding the photo of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren. I arrived here in an ambulance. We will need to be heard by the government."I am no God or messiah; I am a common man," he continued, pleading with the audience not to turn him into a hero.

"My personal life will remain unchanged. However, the hunger strike was not as painful as the barbed wire. Three levels of barricading were crossed by the students. Why does the government oppose students' requests and want chaos?"

Government says protesters will not face lathi-charge

According to the ANI reports, Jharkhand Minister Deepika Pandy Singh said the government would allow the aspirants to protest peacefully and assured them that measures such as pellet guns, tear gas or lathi-charge would not be used against them.

She said the administration was taking steps to maintain law and order durning the planned Vidhan Sabha gherao.

According to the minister, discussions had been held with the protesting students for several hours over the past four days. She said the government had agreed to almost all demands that fell within its jurisdiction.

However, the demand for cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination, she said, was connected to judicial directions and therefore could not be decided solely by the state government.

Government open to judicially monitored probe

Singh said the government had kept the investigation into the allegations open-ended and was willing to have the probe conducted under judicial monitoring.

She also said the state government had invited the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to investigate allegations of financial irregularities and misappropriation linked to the recruitment-related issues.

The government has also proposed changes to the recruitment system, with the minister saying that these reforms had been shared with the protesting students.

IITs, IIMs among institutions proposed for Recruitment reform panel

One of the proposed reforms is the formation of an expert committee that would include representatives from premier institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), XLRI and the Indian School of Mines (ISM).

The proposed panel is aimed at examining the recruitment system and suggesting changes to make government examinations more transparent and reliable.

Published on: Monday, August 10, 2026, 12:59 PM IST