Jharkhand Exam Protests: Government Calls Fresh Talks as Student Leader's Health Worsens

The Jharkhand government has decided to hold a fresh round of talks with student groups on Sunday (August 9, 2026) over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations. This comes on the 16th day of the ongoing protest, even as the health of a student leader on an indefinite hunger strike has deteriorated.

The decision was announced after a series of meetings between government representatives and various student organisations on Friday night and throughout Saturday failed to resolve the deadlock. The talks, which were described as inconclusive, have led to another round of discussions scheduled for 12 p.m. on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Devenedra Nath Mahto, a student leader who has been on an indefinite hunger strike for about a week at Ranchi's Jaipal Singh Stadium, experienced a sudden deterioration in his health around 3 a.m. on Saturday. Doctors recorded his blood glucose level at 53, which is below the normal range.

The Hemant Soren government on Friday night held discussions with the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, the group spearheading the agitation. On Saturday, it conducted four separate rounds of talks with other student bodies, including the Congress-affiliated NSUI, Jharkhand Chhatra Morcha (JCM), and Adivasi Chhatra Sangh (ACS).

However, the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch criticised the government's move to hold separate talks with other organisations. Ravindra Paswan, a leader of the Manch, described it as "political manoeuvring," alleging that the government was attempting to create divisions among protesting students and divert attention from their core demands.

"This is political manoeuvring by the government. It is trying to create a divide among students and divert attention. But they should know that all students are united," Mr. Paswan said at a press conference at the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, where students have been protesting since July 25.

Mr. Paswan claimed that the Manch had placed all its demands before the five-member government panel during a detailed meeting on Friday night. However, on Saturday, the panel—comprising ministers Dipika Pandey Singh, Sudivya Kumar, Chamra Linda, and Sanjay Prasad Yadav—held separate meetings with the NSUI, JCM, and ACS, and sought their respective charters of demands.

The government, in response, said the discussions were held in a positive atmosphere and that it was considering the concerns raised by the protesting aspirants. The decision for another round of talks came after a four-hour meeting between the government panel and Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday evening.

Rural Development Minister Dipika Pandey Singh said the panel had briefed the Chief Minister on the demands and concerns raised by student delegations. "It was decided in the meeting with the Chief Minister that a final round of talks with the protesting students will take place at 12 p.m. on Sunday," she said.

Minister Sanjay Prasad Yadav said the government would continue discussions with the agitators, who are demanding comprehensive reforms in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).

The JCM submitted five demands, including the cancellation of the 14th JPSC Civil Services Examination. The NSUI submitted six demands, including a CID probe into all JPSC and JSSC examinations under suspicion within 90 days and the establishment of a Jharkhand Testing Agency on the lines of the National Testing Agency. ACS leader Kartik Oraon demanded inclusion of tribal and regional languages as qualifying papers in recruitment examinations and cancellation of tests where irregularities were found.

The protest, which began on July 25, has drawn attention to alleged irregularities in the recruitment examination process. The government has maintained that it is open to dialogue and is addressing the concerns of the students. The fresh talks on Sunday are expected to be crucial in determining the next steps.