Jharkhand recruitment scam: Students conditionally agree to talks; CID arrests 5 more

Students protesting alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations in Jharkhand have agreed in principle to hold talks with the state government, provided the discussions are held in the presence of the media. The development came as the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested five more people in connection with the alleged recruitment scam.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has intensified its probe by examining digital records, application logs and other documents, the state government said, while maintaining that action is being taken against those responsible.

Student leaders said they were prepared to send a four- or five-member delegation for discussions after receiving a message from the government through the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO). However, they insisted that the talks be transparent.

"We also had another demand: if the chief minister comes out to speak with us publicly in front of live media on an open platform, a proper resolution could be reached. In our previous protest, our representatives were taken into a closed room, and nothing came out of it. They are calling a five-member team just to stall and suppress our movement," one protester said.

Another protester echoed the demand, saying, "The chief minister should listen to the students' demands in front of the press and media, and whatever promises he intends to fulfil should be stated publicly. For the last 26 years in Jharkhand, students' issues have been heard in closed rooms, and the files have remained closed forever."

Student leader Ravindra Paswan said both sides had shown willingness to engage. "The government has expressed its willingness to engage in dialogue, and we have also conveyed our willingness. Dialogue is essential in a democratic country as it is the only way to reach a resolution," Paswan said.

He added that the students had placed two conditions before the government. "Our primary condition is that the dialogue should take place directly with the Chief Minister, and we have been assured that the Chief Minister will be present. Secondly, we want at least two media representatives to be present during the discussions. The SDO has asked us to submit the names of our delegation members before 10 am, after which the date and time of the meeting will be communicated," he said.

The state government has repeatedly stressed its willingness to engage with the protesters. Jharkhand minister Irfan Ansari said, "The Chief Minister has constituted the committee... We have opened the door for dialogue. Talks will take place, we will listen to your demands, and if they are reasonable, we will certainly accept them. They are our students, our children." He also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to politicise the issue.

Rural development minister Deepika Pandey Singh said a committee had been formed and students had been asked to nominate their representatives so discussions could begin. However, Finance Minister Radhakrishna Kishore clarified that the ministers' group was only monitoring the agitation and was not a formal negotiation committee. He said the Chief Minister remained sensitive to the students' concerns and that the government was ready for talks whenever the students decided to engage.

Earlier this week, Chief Minister Hemant Soren also said the government was open to dialogue and assured students that their demands would be considered seriously. "Many individuals have already been arrested and sent to jail, and investigative agencies are conducting raids," he had said.