Jharkhand Govt Holds First Talks with Students, Agitation to Continue
The Jharkhand government on Friday held its first formal round of talks with representatives of protesting students, who have been demanding the cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) recruitment examination. While the government said it would consider the students' demands sympathetically, student leaders made it clear that their agitation would continue until all demands are met.
The meeting took place at the State Guest House in Ranchi on the 14th day of the protests, which have centred on alleged irregularities in the JPSC recruitment process. In a parallel development, the state's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has summoned three serving members of the JPSC for questioning.
Speaking after the meeting, Jharkhand Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar said the government had listened carefully to the concerns raised by the students. "We met a delegation of protesting students. The government is sensitive to their demands and is ready to consider them sympathetically," Kumar said.
Despite both sides describing the discussions as positive, student leaders insisted that the movement would continue. According to news agency PTI, students have planned to march to the state assembly on August 10 if their demands are not met by Sunday.
"This was the first round of talks. We informed the government about our demands. Our demands were heard and positive discussions took place. But the movement will continue," a student leader said.
The protesters are demanding the cancellation of the 14th JPSC examination and an independent investigation into the alleged irregularities, either by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or by a panel of retired High Court judges from outside Jharkhand. The protests have continued for two weeks, with six demonstrators remaining on an indefinite hunger strike on Friday.
Earlier on Friday, the JPSC/JSSC Reforms Manch submitted a revised list of representatives for the talks after the government objected to its original 11-member delegation, which included an advocate and two technical experts. The government accepted the revised panel before initiating the first round of discussions.
The ongoing standoff reflects broader concerns about transparency in state recruitment examinations. The JPSC exam, conducted for various gazetted posts, has faced scrutiny over alleged irregularities, prompting demands for a fair and impartial investigation. The students have also called for reforms in the recruitment process to prevent such issues in the future.
The state government has not yet announced a specific timeline for a decision on the demands. However, the willingness to hold talks and the CID's summons to JPSC members indicate that the authorities are taking the matter seriously. The coming days will be crucial as the students have threatened to intensify their protests if their demands are not met.
Both the government and the students have emphasised the need for a peaceful resolution. The government has urged students to maintain law and order, while the students have stressed that their agitation is peaceful and aimed solely at ensuring fairness in the recruitment process.
