Ranchi: Police resorted to lathi charge and used water cannons to stop job aspirants and students from entering the assembly premises.
Police took action against protesters at the barricade, close to the assembly. Protesters reached there after breaking six rounds as police refrained from using force against them until they reached close to the assembly.
Besides protesters taking the main route, they also took the alternative route to reach near the assembly premises.
Interestingly, a protester also showed a placard, congratulating chief minister Hemant Soren on his birthday, falling on Monday.
Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on a hunger strike for nine days in protest against exam irregularities, also joined the march, despite losing 10.5 kg. He was seen carrying a portrait of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren.
The Jharkhand government on Sunday (August 9, 2026) agreed to cancel the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) preliminary examination and the JPSC backlog examinations held in 2023 and 2025 following six hours of discussions with protesting student groups. However, the students remained firm on their demand for a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the JSSC-CGL examination and said the agitation would continue. The announcement came even as all three JPSC members resigned and Chief Minister Hemant Soren assured protesters that justice would be delivered with full transparency.
Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) and JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, said they want cancellation of JSSC-CGL and all exams connected to the TSR Data Processing Private Limited Agency, a blacklisted entity.
The protest gained further political traction earlier in the day when former chief minister and BJP leader Babulal Marandi and party leader Aditya Sahu were detained during a sit-in outside Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s residence. They were seeking a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in government recruitment examinations.
The Assembly march came a day after the state government agreed to cancel three examinations, including the preliminary examination of the 14th JPSC Combined Civil Services Examination, following talks with representatives of the protesting students.
The government’s concessions, however, failed to end the agitation, with protesters continuing to press for wider action and accountability over the examination process.
Adding to the pressure on the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC), three of its serving members—Dr Ajita Bhattacharya, Dr Anima Hansda and Dr Jamal Ahmed—resigned on Sunday.
