Jharkhand

Jharkhand student protest enters 18th day amid BJP bandh, ABVP march

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

BJP calls for Jharkhand bandh over police action on protesting students

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 .

Jharkhand protest Day 17: Police lathicharge, use water cannons on students

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

Jharkhand Police use water cannons on student protesters in Ranchi

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

ED initiates investigation into Jharkhand PSC exams 'irregularities' case

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

Jharkhand exam row: BJP protests outside CM residence, seeks CBI probe

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

Jharkhand student protest: All you need to know about Vidhan Sabha Gherao

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

3 Jharkhand PSC members resign amid protests against exam irregularities

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.

Jharkhand job exam row: Govt to hold fresh talks with protesting students

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

Jharkhand student protests: Talks with government fail to break impasse

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

Jharkhand govt holds talks with job aspirants over alleged paper leaks

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.

Jharkhand exam protest: Stir enters 15th day as no breakthrough after talks

As the agitation over alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment examinations entered its 14th day, talks between the state government and student protesters on Friday failed to break the deadlock, with students deciding to continue their protest and hunger strike until their demands, including cancellation of the 14th JPSC examination, are met. The students also warned that they would go ahead with their planned Vidhan Sabha march on August 10 if the government failed to fulfil their demands by Sunday. The first round of discussions was held between a 10-member delegation of the JPSC/JSSC Reforms Manch and a government panel headed by Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar. The meeting came after the protesters submitted a revised delegation list, replacing an earlier 11-member panel to which the government had objected over the inclusion of an advocate. "The meeting was held in a positive atmosphere, and the government assured us that our demands would be ...

Jharkhand student protest: Here's why JPSC, JSSC aspirants are on strike

The agitation over alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC recruitment exams has entered its 14th day; here's what sparked the protest, what students are demanding and how the government has responded

Jharkhand govt tables ₹8,399 cr supplementary budget for FY'27 in assembly

The Jharkhand government on Friday tabled a supplementary budget of Rs 8,399 crore in the assembly for the current 2026-27 fiscal, amid the opposition's protest over alleged irregularities in recruitment exams in the state. Finance Minister Radhakrishna Kishore tabled the first supplementary budget for this financial year. Earlier in February, Kishore presented the annual budget of Rs 1.58 lakh crore for the 2026-27 financial year in the state assembly. The Assembly's Monsoon session started on Thursday and will conclude on August 12. There are five working days during the session, Assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath told the House on Thursday. The debate on the demands is scheduled to be held on August 10.

J'khand exam protest enters Day 14, protester on hunger strike hospitalised

One of the six protesters, who have been on a hunger strike as part of a demonstration against the alleged irregularities in recruitment exams in Jharkhand, was taken to a hospital here after his health condition deteriorated on Friday, an official said. The student leader, identified as Rahul Kranti, who has been on fast since Tuesday night, was taken in an ambulance to the Ranchi Sadar hospital for treatment, he said. Earlier in the day, Kranti had said the protesters had appealed to the administration for a health check-up, but no doctors reached the demonstration site till 8.30 am. Five protesters, including two women, on Tuesday night joined Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) leader Devendra Nath Mahto in his hunger strike. Mahto has been on fast for the past six days. Social activist Sonam Wangchuk, who recently observed a 26-day hunger strike in Delhi over the NEET paper leak issue, spoke to Mahto over the phone on Wednesday and urged him to at least drink water,

Jharkhand exam stir: Protest intensifies as opposition seeks CBI probe

The protest against alleged examination irregularities in Jharkhand intensified on Thursday with opposition MLAs protesting on Assembly premises on the first day of its Monsoon Session, as the stir gained steam over the past 13 days with six demonstrators on hunger strike. The protest, which began on July 25 under the banner of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium here, emerged as one of the biggest student-led movements in the state in recent years. The demonstrators are demanding cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand PSC Civil Services Examination and an independent probe into the alleged irregularities in the recruitment test either by the CBI or by a panel of retired high court judges from outside the state. Just before the Assembly's Monsoon Session began, MLAs of the opposition NDA bloc staged a protest and demanded a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations. The legislators raised slogans against the state government with BJP ch

CJP supports students protesting alleged exam irregularities in Jharkhand

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) extended support to students protesting the alleged irregularities in various recruitment examinations in Jharkhand, as an agitator launched an indefinite hunger strike over the issue. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said he spoke with student leaders through video call on Sunday night. "Spoke to the students who are protesting in Jharkhand over irregularities in JPSC and JSSC recruitment exams. The CJP stands with all the students in Jharkhand and supports their demands," Dipke said in a social media post. Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto launched the hunger strike at the protest site in Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium here around 10 pm on Sunday, demanding proper investigation by CBI and ED into the alleged irregularities in the 14th JPSC examination, JSSC-CGL and other recruitment tests. Before launching his hunger strike, he told reporters that the "lackadaisical attitude" of both the central and the state governments with regard to the alleged ...

Jharkhand's SIR exercise: Over 600K dead voters recorded; Ranchi tops list

Jharkhand has recorded more than six lakh dead voters during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls with Ranchi registering the highest number of dead electors till Saturday, an official said. The enumeration exercise for the SIR of electoral rolls began on June 30 and will continue till July 29, during which BLOs are conducting door-to-door visits to distribute, collect and verify enumeration forms. Ranchi recorded the highest number of dead voters at 71,990, followed by Khunti at 53,885 till Saturday morning, they said. Booth-level officers (BLOs) have reached 99.58 per cent of Jharkhand's 2.64 crore electors under the ongoing SIR till 11 am on Saturday, an official said. "BLOs have successfully reached out to 99.58 per cent of the total electorate, covering 2,63,51,520 voters, and made enumeration forms available to eligible Indian citizens through house-to-house visits," Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) K Ravi Kumar told PTI. He said 2,36,49,659 enumeration forms

Tata Steel to invest ₹10k cr in Jharkhand by 2028, creating 2k jobs

Tata Steel on Monday said it plans to invest Rs 10,000 crore in its Jharkhand projects by 2028, which will create 2,000 direct and indirect jobs. The company aims to have 40 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) steelmaking capacity in India, up from the present 27.35 MTPA, through capacity expansion and transition to low-emitting steelmaking routes. "Tata Steel is committed to invest Rs 10,000 crore in its Jharkhand projects, including Rs 7,000 crore in HIsarna & Easy Melting Technology by 2028. In total, the investment will create 2,000 direct and indirect jobs," a company official told the media here. Tata Steel Chief of Corporate Communication, Sarvesh Kumar, said proposed investments included Rs 2,600 crore in expansion of the Tinplate Division, while Rs 1,500 crore will be invested in the Combi mill. HIsarna, a patented Tata Steel technology, is an innovative low-carbon iron-making route that enables direct production of iron without the need for conventional coke, sinter, or ...

CCEA clears ₹3,907-cr railway expansion projects in Odisha, Jharkhand

The CCEA has approved two railway expansion projects worth Rs 3,907 crore in Odisha and Jharkhand to enhance line capacity, ease congestion and improve freight movement