Students have been protesting for the last 14 days in Jharkhand against alleged irregularities in JPSC-JSSC examinations. Uncertainty remains regarding the methods and timing of talks between the government and the students. It is estimated that talks between the protesters and the government may take place on Friday. Meanwhile, AISA President Neha Bora reached Ranchi and participated in this student movement.
Student protests in Ranchi concerning various issues related to the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) are intensifying. Students who have been picketing for 13 days held a unique protest action on Thursday evening at the Jayaprakash Singh Stadium in Ranchi.
On Thursday evening, students marched across the stadium grounds and adjacent areas, using mobile phone flashlights. This demonstration filled the entire area with shouts and expressions of indignation. The protesters clearly conveyed to the government that their action was completely peaceful. Nevertheless, despite continuous protests for 13 days, the government has not provided any concrete solutions to their demands.
The students categorically stated that their movement will not cease until the government provides a written and satisfactory response to their requests.
Currently, there is uncertainty regarding planned high-level meetings between the students and the Jharkhand government. Although student representatives submitted the names of their members to the administration for negotiations, an official meeting between both sides did not take place by Thursday evening.
Sources report that if positive changes arise at the administrative level at the last moment, negotiations may take place overnight. Otherwise, it is highly likely that official talks between the government and student representatives will occur on Friday. The students remain firm on their demands, increasing pressure on the administration to find a solution quickly.
The scandal, which began with allegations of opening examination material envelopes and the disappearance of OMR sheets in the 14th JPSC exam (PT), has escalated into the largest student movement in Jharkhand's history. However, since students are demanding not so much the purity of the exams themselves as an investigation by the supervisory agency, the question arises whether this movement casts doubt on the integrity of the government's own investigative body.
As a result of a sit-in strike at the Jai Pal Singh Stadium in Ranchi, the government was compelled to form a special commission comprising four ministers (Dipika Pandey Singh, Chamra Linda, Sudivya Kumar Sonu, Sanjay Prasad) and senior IAS officer Ajay Kumar. Although the state government is conducting an investigation through the CID, students insist on a CBI investigation into all seven disputed JPSC and JSSC exams conducted between 2019 and 2026, rather than just canceling one exam.
Students argue that the more than 19 arrests made by state agencies (CID) are themselves proof that the OMR sheets were obtained illegally and that a 'collusive' system was organized. Nevertheless, they believe this only catches small fry, leaving major 'crocodiles' unpunished. This is why students are now demanding the intervention of the central investigating agency—the CBI.
The history of JPSC and JSSC exams since 2019 has been marked by several incidents: in 2019-20, students approached the High Court regarding disputed JPSC lists and cut-off scores. In 2021, disputes arose over discrepancies in the Answer Key and the lack of transparency in the selection process for JPSC. In 2022, a statewide protest occurred over cut-off scores and a suspicious evaluation system for JSSC. In 2023, a leak of JSSC CGL examination materials on social media shortly before the exam drew judicial attention. In 2024, the use of Dummy Candidates was uncovered, and an organized cheating syndicate was exposed in JGGLCCE-JSSC CGL. And in 2025, students pointed to a lack of transparency in JSSC results and accused authorities of favoring favorites. The last major protest, involving a strike and the initiation of a CID investigation, took place in 2026 during the 14th JPSC PT exam.
The state government asserts that the CID investigation is actively underway, with over 19 arrests made so far, including examination center operators, middlemen, and suspects. Despite this, students claim that state investigative bodies are only dealing with low-level 'racketeers' and closing cases. They emphasize that the network of material leaks and covert access extends to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi, and only the central agency (CBI) can conduct such an investigation.
'Abhay Tiwari' has become the symbol of the syndicate that allows people to enter the top lists without taking the exam or by leaving the OMR sheet blank. Students are now opposing any such syndicate. This is why, even on the 13th day, despite heavy rain, all students continue their protest.
Students have clearly stated that if the four-minister government commission wishes to negotiate, it must appear at this open venue at the stadium. Student trust in closed-door meetings in offices has been completely lost.
