Jharkhand student leader ends 16-day fast after government cancels CGL, TDPL exams

Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto ended his 16-day hunger strike late on Monday night after the Jharkhand government announced the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination and all examinations conducted by the testing agency TDPL. Mahto called the decision a “huge victory for Jharkhand”.

Mahto ended his fast in Ranchi in the presence of state ministers Dipika Pandey Singh and Irfan Ansari. He thanked Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, ministers, and others who supported the students' agitation.

Speaking after ending his fast, Mahto said the struggle began on July 2 and that the government had taken a bold step by cancelling the JSSC-CGL examination even though the recruitment process had reached the joining stage and some candidates had already secured appointments.

“I thank the Jharkhand government for showing the courage to make such a significant decision. Cancelling an exam was a massive challenge. It was not an easy call given that the recruitment process for the JSSC CGL examination had already reached the joining stage and many students had likely secured their positions. Yet, considering the critical situation, the government took this bold step for the students,” he said.

Mahto stressed that his protest was being suspended, not withdrawn permanently. He called for stringent reforms to prevent paper leaks and irregularities, saying every examination should be monitored and audited. “If this requires the Legislative Assembly to enact new laws or necessitates a constitutional amendment, then so be it. Every examination must be monitored, every examination must be audited, and there must be a clear certificate for every examination and at every stage; we will continue to struggle for this,” he added.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the decision was taken at a special Cabinet meeting after considering concerns raised by the protesting students. “Today, we held a special Cabinet meeting to bring this matter to a conclusion. After considering all aspects and finding solutions to the issues, we have decided to cancel all examinations conducted by TDPL, the results published by TDPL, and the selection or participation of any candidates through TDPL. All activities undertaken by TDPL in this regard have also been cancelled,” Soren said.

The government also decided to cancel the JSSC-CGL examinations. Soren said the government viewed the protesting students as young people concerned about their future and promised greater transparency in recruitment reforms. “I do not consider these young people to be different groups. They are all concerned about their future. The government will move ahead with complete transparency on reforms,” he said.

The Chief Minister noted that an existing standard operating procedure (SOP) should have prevented the alleged irregularities and promised further improvements based on suggestions from stakeholders. “There is already an SOP for conducting examinations, and if it had been followed, these irregularities would not have occurred. Nevertheless, further improvements will be made based on suggestions received,” he said.

The student protests had been ongoing for weeks, with demands for cancellation of the examinations and withdrawal of cases against students. Rahul Gandhi had earlier expressed support for the students, adding to the pressure on the government. The cancellation is seen as a significant concession to the demonstrators and a step toward addressing concerns about transparency in recruitment processes.