Jharkhand

Jharkhand govt has cancelled 44 exams and formed a 2-month reform panel, as appointees launch a counter-protest against exam cancellations; Devendra Mahto has said that the protest will continue

The Jharkhand government on Tuesday night released a list of 44 recruitment exams that have been cancelled due to irregularities, amid student protests over the issue. Issuing eight notifications late at night, the Jharkhand government said the cancelled exams include those conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and outsourced agency TSR Data Processing Pvt Ltd (TDPL) since 2014. The exams cancelled include recruitment for drug inspectors, assistant professors, deputy collectors, dental doctors, assistant engineers, civil judges, additional public prosecutors and forest range officers among others. The state government, after a cabinet meeting on Monday, announced the cancellation of the JSSC-Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examination, one of the key demands of protesting students, as well as all examinations conducted by outsourced agency TDPL and the results published by it.

After weeks of protests over alleged recruitment exam irregularities, Jharkhand cancels the JSSC-CGL and TDPL tests, while Mahto ends his 16-day fast; the fight now moves to reforms

JSSC Combined Graduate Level examination also cancelled; government to set up exam reforms committee headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has written to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren over the student protests in the state, urging him to personally meet with representatives of the protesting students and take appropriate action towards the resolution of the issue. Gandhi stressed that the protest by the students in Jharkhand has been peaceful and their demands are legitimate. The Congress is part of the ruling JMM-led government in Jharkhand. In his letter to Soren, Gandhi said the youth of India is its future and asserted that "we owe them our solidarity and support at this moment of crisis". "The Congress party believes that the right to peaceful protest as enshrined in the Constitution of India is one of the central pillars of our democracy. We have, therefore, offered our full support to students protesting paper leaks and irregularities in the education system over the last few months," the Leader of Opposition said in his letter. It is also our belief that the Indian educati

Jharkhand's student protests over exam paper leaks have renewed questions about the state's education spending, unemployment and persistent poverty levels

Hemant Soren says proposed restrictions on states' mineral taxation powers raise constitutional and federal concerns and could hit Jharkhand's mining revenues

The students' protest against alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment examinations entered its 21st day on Friday, with demonstrators planning to take out a 'Tiranga Yatra' on the occasion of the country's 80th Independence Day celebrations on August 15. They also cautioned the Ranchi district administration against an FIR lodged over the violence during the August 10 march towards the state assembly, asserting that the 'Tiranga Yatra' on Independence Day would further strengthen their movement. The protesters, under the banner of JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, have been demanding greater transparency in recruitment examinations, cancellation of several tests and an independent probe by the CBI or a panel of retired judges from outside the state. The police continued examining video footage to identify miscreants involved in creating violence during the 'Vidhan Sabha March' by the job aspirants on Monday. The FIR was lodged against 300 unnamed people over the August 10 march towa

Students protesting the alleged irregularities in the recruitment examinations under the banner of JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch on Tuesday announced that they would continue the agitation till all demands are met. The Manch members who took part in a 'silent procession' here in the evening said they have decided to intensify the agitation, and details will be shared soon. "We hoped the state government would come out with some positive message for the students after Monday's protest, in which over 50,000 students from across the state participated," he said. "But we did not get any positive output from the government. So, we have decided to continue our agitation at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium till all our demands are met," said JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch leader, Ravindra Paswan, in a press conference here. Piyush Kumar, another leader, said they have now decided to intensify their protest. "We will soon announce the details of the future course of action of the protest," he said. Kumar a

The protest by students over alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment exams entered its 18th day on Tuesday, with the BJP observing a state-wide bandh, while ABVP announced that it would organise a march to the state assembly during the day. The saffron party called the bandh from 8 am to midnight to protest against the police action on demonstrators during their march to Vidhan Sabha on Monday. The students and job aspirants have been agitating since July 25, demanding transparency in recruitment examinations, reforms in the functioning of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and 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 demonstrators have also been observing an indefinite hunger strike to press their demands, with two of them hospitalised. The sixth round of talks between the Jharkhand government and the protesting

Normal life was affected in parts of Jharkhand on Tuesday as BJP workers enforced a state-wide bandh in protest against police action on job aspirants during their march to the state assembly a day ago over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations. Most schools and business establishments remained closed, while vehicular movement was very low in the state capital Ranchi and several other cities. The shutdown, announced after the police used water cannons, tear gas and batons against protesters in Ranchi on Monday, was being observed from 8 am to midnight, with essential services kept outside its purview, BJP state president Aditya Sahu said. The BJP described the police action as "atrocities" against students and accused the JMM-led government of using force instead of addressing their grievances. The party has also backed the protesters' demand for an independent probe into the alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service .

Aspirants clashed with police during their 'gherao' march to Jharkhand Assembly, and CID arrested ex-JPSC chairperson L Khiangte over exam irregularities. Here are the latest updates on the protest

A large number of student protesters gathered near the Vidhan Sabha in Ranchi during the march led by JPSC-JSSC Reform Morcha against the alleged irregularities in the examinations

The Enforcement Directorate has launched an investigation into alleged irregularities in the conduct of multiple recruitment examinations in Jharkhand particularly the JSSC-CGL examination, officials said on Monday. They said the central agency has taken cognisance of a state police CID FIR and some other complaints to initiate a probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Students have been agitating in the state for 16 days demanding a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, particularly the JSSC-CGL (Jharkhand General Graduate Level Combined Competitive Examination). The students have refused to call off their stir and are set to march towards the state Assembly on Monday even though the government said it has accepted "98 per cent of the demands". The Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC), which is at the centre of the turmoil, also saw a major shake-up on Sunday. All three JPSC members -- Ajeeta Bhattacharya, the wife of prominen

BJP leaders staged a protest outside Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's residence here on Monday, demanding a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations in the state. At the sit-in led by the party's state unit chief Aditya Sahu and Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi, the protesters were seen raising slogans and holding up placards with demands such as "stop playing with students' future" and "recommend a CBI probe into irregularities in JPSC examination". A police official said several BJP leaders, including Sahu and Marandi, have been detained. On the other hand, BJP's Jharkhand unit spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo says he and several other leaders were under "house arrest" since 7 am. The Jharkhand government said it has conceded to "98 per cent of the demands" made by the protesting job aspirants even though the agitators claimed that it was not true. It has agreed to the cancellation of the 14th JPSC examination, proposed an ED probe into alleged

The march to Vidhan Sabha comes after three rounds of talks between the protesters and the state government failed to resolve the dispute

All three members of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) resigned on Sunday amid the massive protests over the alleged irregularities in recruitment tests conducted by the agency. Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar accepted the resignation of Ajeeta Bhattacharya, Anima Hansda and Jamal Ahmad, according to a statement issued by the Lok Bhavan. The resignations came after the CID summoned the three members in connection with the allegations of irregularities, including paper leaks. On July 22, JPSC chairperson L Khiangte had tendered his resignation. Nineteen people have so far been arrested in connection with the alleged irregularities in JPSC examinations, while Khiangte has been questioned four times since July 28.

The Jharkhand government will hold a sixth round of talks with students protesting the alleged exam irregularities in the state before reaching a final decision, said a member of the panel tasked with holding dialogue with the demonstrators. The talks will be held around 12 pm, the member said after the panel held a four-hour meeting with Chief Minister Hemant Soren, appraising him about the progress achieved during the previous five rounds of dialogue with the protesters. "We apprised the chief minister of students' views and demands that came to the fore during various rounds of meetings with delegations of student unions today and the day before. "It was decided in the meeting with the chief minister that a final round of talks with protesting students will take place at 12 pm on Sunday," the panel's member and Rural Development Minister Dipika Pandey Singh told PTI. Another member, Minister Sanjay Prasad Yadav, said the meeting at the chief minister's residence decided to hold

The government has held back-to-back talks with protesting aspirants and student groups, but students insist the agitation will continue until the 14th JPSC exam is cancelled and other demands are met

The Jharkhand government on Saturday held talks with the Devendra Nath Mahto-led faction of the protesting job aspirants over the alleged paper leaks. The meeting began at the state guest house in Ranchi as Mahto's fast over the issue entered its seventh day. An eight-member delegation of the grouping was meeting government officials following massive protests in the state capital over the last two weeks. "We have been demanding immediate cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand PSC Civil Services Examination, and all exams conducted by that agency," Mahto, a Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) leader, told PTI. The protesters are also seeking an independent probe into the alleged irregularities, either by the CBI or by a panel of retired high court judges from outside the state.