Uttar Pradesh Government Launches Initiative for Students: Officials to Share Career Advice

Students protesting in the capital of Jharkhand, Ranchi, plan to surround the legislative assembly building on Monday to support their demands. Negotiations between students and government representatives took place on Sunday and lasted for over five hours. The government attempted to end the movement by agreeing to several important student demands, but difficulties arose related to the CBI investigation.

The government is ready to cancel the JPSC exam for the 14th batch and conduct an investigation into this matter. Furthermore, the government agreed to the second set of student demands. Higher Education Minister Sudivya Kumar claims that about 98% of the starving students' demands have been met. Nevertheless, students insist that simply canceling the exam is insufficient; they demand an impartial investigation by the CBI regarding alleged hiring irregularities and exam paper leaks. Additionally, students firmly stand by their demand to cancel the JSSC-CGL exam.

This disagreement has moved the movement to a new stage. The government is calling on students to postpone demonstrations, while the students refuse to back down. Students announced plans to surround the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly on August 10.

Meanwhile, a major event occurred at the JPSC on Sunday. Three commission members resigned to Governor Santosh Gangwar. The Governor accepted these resignation letters. The Chairman of the JPSC, L. Xiangte, had previously resigned. Thus, the path to restructuring the JPSC became clear.

Sunday in Ranchi was eventful. Meetings were held from morning until late at night. On one hand, the government tried to find a compromise to calm the youth, while on the other, the students remained unwavering in their core demands without any concessions. Below is a full overview of the day's events and the reasons for the disagreements.

On the 16th day of the movement, on Sunday morning, students began arriving in Ranchi from various parts of the state. The crowd of applicants near the old legislative assembly complex and Morabadi field became so large that the temporary tent was too small. Given the gathering of people, a new stage was organized.

Six students who have been on an ongoing hunger strike for several days are on the stage, and a team of doctors is constantly monitoring their health. The youth's position is very clear: this time the fight will not end with just promises.

A significant event took place at the administrative department during the day. Amid strong opposition from students and increased police surveillance, three members of the Jharkhand Public Service (JPSC)—Dr. Azit Bhattacharya, Dr. Anima Hansada, and Dr. Jamal Ahmed—simultaneously resigned from their posts. All three submitted their resignation letters in Rajbawan, which was immediately approved by Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar. The reason was that the CID team investigating hiring irregularities issued summons for questioning to these three members. Azit Bhattacharya was scheduled for August 10, Jamal Ahmed for August 12, and Anima Hansada for August 14.

These resignations, occurring shortly before the scheduled interrogation dates, caused confusion in administrative circles. Previously, the commission chairman L. Xiangte had also decided to resign on July 22. After the departure of the three members, the commission structure was completely emptied.

Amid ongoing student protests in Jharkhand regarding JPSC exams and job opportunities, the government held a press conference on Sunday evening at 8:00 PM. After three rounds of negotiations with students, Minister Suddiviya Kumar presented the government's position to the press.

The government appealed to the students to postpone planned demonstrations for the following day, stating that the government is prepared to meet most of their demands. A major decision was announced during the press conference: the state government is ready to cancel the 14th JPSC exam. Furthermore, an investigation into financial fraud and irregularities in JPSC exams will be conducted with the involvement of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Minister Suddiviya Kumar clarified that the entire matter is being investigated at a deep level under the directive of the Chief Minister. The government also assured that all future exams in Jharkhand will be conducted completely transparently and cleanly. To achieve this, improvements will be made to the examination procedure (SOP), and a dedicated email address will be created to receive complaints and suggestions from students.

Regarding the CGL exams, Minister Suddiviya Kumar noted that the employment of all successful candidates was only carried out after a court ruling. Nevertheless, he warned of potential legal complications in cases already within the judicial process that secured jobs through the court. Further review of the second JPSC results based on the SBI report can also be expected.

The government sincerely called upon protesting students and their parents to refrain from tomorrow's rallies, emphasizing that it is seriously considering their demands and is ready to accept them. The government guaranteed that it would not play with the students' future and asked them to support public order by withdrawing their protests in the interest of the students.

Former Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Champai Soren, posed a sharp question to the state government in his tweet on X. He asked why it was so difficult for the government to cancel the exams and conduct a CBI investigation if it was not involved in the job buying and selling scheme.

Against the backdrop of student unrest, three JPSC members—Azita Bhattacharya, Jamil Ahmed, and Anima Hansada—resigned. They submitted their resignation to Governor Santosh Gangwar, which was accepted. Meanwhile, the CID will interrogate Azita Bhattacharya on August 10 to ascertain the circumstances of the irregularities in the entrance exams. Among the resigning officials were Azita Bhattacharya, Jamil Ahmed, and Anima Hansada, whose resignations were accepted by the governor. Previously, the Chairman of JPSC, L. Khyangte, also resigned on July 22.

Currently, the CID is investigating alleged irregularities in JPSC exams and interviewing commission members. Dr. Azita Bhattacharya's interrogation is scheduled for August 10. The government and student representatives conducted three lengthy rounds of negotiations to calm the protests. The Chief Minister himself wrote a letter to the students to persuade them, and the government claims that 98 percent of the students' demands have been met, although agreement has not been reached on several key issues.

The Kerala Department of Education has suspended a school teacher due to a question posed during a quiz concerning the Hindu thinker Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who was described as a freedom fighter who received the most punishments from the British.

This question was used in the materials for the 'Social Science Club Freedom Quiz 2026' in schools in the Kasaragod district. The Director of General Education, Snehil Kumar Singh, issued an order for the immediate suspension of teacher Guru Prasad from the private upper primary school (AUPS) Pallathadka, located in the Kumbla sub-district, Kasaragod.

According to the order, this decision was made based on a report submitted following an investigation into the dispute by the Deputy Director of Education of Kasaragod. Officials stated that on August 6, the 'Social Science Club Freedom Quiz 2026' was conducted at the school level in the schools of the Kumbla and Manjeshwar sub-districts for students of primary, middle, and high grades.

The quiz materials for the lower primary section included 15 questions and five additional questions to determine the winner. Officials reported that the fifth question read: 'Which freedom fighter received the most punishments from the British?', and the answer given was the name of V.D. Savarkar.

This question and answer sparked controversy and mass protests, leading educational authorities to launch an inquiry. CPI(M) and left student organizations criticized the situation, accusing the Congress-led UDF government of promoting the Sangh family agenda in education.

Senior CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan accused the UDF government of colluding with the RSS and stated that attempts are being made to conceal Savarkar's true history and glorify him.

As per the order from the Director of General Education, the quiz materials were prepared by a team of teachers under the guidance of Guru Prasad. The Deputy Director of Education recommended disciplinary action against the responsible teachers after the investigation was completed. The Department of General Education also instructed the school director to initiate internal disciplinary proceedings against Guru Prasad in accordance with Kerala education rules. The Department directed a detailed investigation into the matter and tasked the Deputy Director of Education with submitting a report on the measures taken after the necessary procedures were completed.