Jharkhand exam stir enters 18th day as BJP holds bandh, ABVP plans Assembly march

The student protest over alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment examinations entered its 18th day on Tuesday (August 11, 2026), with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) observing a State-wide bandh and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) announcing a march to the State Assembly.

The agitation, which began on July 25, has been led by job aspirants demanding transparency in recruitment exams, reforms in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), cancellation of several examinations, and an independent investigation by the CBI or a panel of retired High Court judges from outside the State.

Six protesters are on an indefinite hunger strike, with two of them hospitalised. The sixth round of talks between the government and the protesting students under the JPSC-JSSC Manch failed on Sunday (August 9) to reach a breakthrough. The government panel said it had conceded to “98% of their demands”, but the students disputed this claim and stuck to their demands.

On Monday (August 10), police used water cannons, lathi-charge and tear gas to prevent marchers from reaching the Assembly. Several protesters reported injuries, while police said 14 policemen were hurt. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched a money-laundering probe into the anomalies, and the Jharkhand CID arrested former JPSC chairperson L. Khiangte, taking the total arrests to 20.

The ABVP, which condemned the police action, will hold a procession from the old Vidyan Sabha to the new Assembly premises on Tuesday. The BJP, which gheraoed Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s residence before Monday’s march, called the bandh to protest the use of force against students.

Chief Minister Soren appealed to the protesters to resolve their grievances through dialogue and trust, while accusing the BJP of trying to mislead agitators for political gain. Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi condemned the police action, saying peaceful protests should not be met with violence. The BJP hit back, noting that the Congress is part of the ruling coalition in Jharkhand and questioning Gandhi’s double standards. Union minister J.P. Nadda alleged that Gandhi, being part of the state government, could not claim to be on the students’ side.

The government said it has agreed to cancel the 14th JPSC examination and the backlog exams of 2023 and 2025. Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar added that the government voluntarily agreed to an ED probe after financial irregularities surfaced. On the JSSC-CGL examination, he said the government could not order its cancellation.