Jharkhand Exam Row: Protests Enter Day 18; Roads Blocked, ABVP Members Detained in Ranchi

August 11, 2026

Ranchi: The student agitation over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations in Jharkhand entered its 18th day on Tuesday, with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staging a protest march in Ranchi and several members being detained.

The ABVP march was held from the Old Vidhan Sabha to the New Vidhan Sabha, adding to the ongoing protests by students and government job aspirants demanding greater transparency in the recruitment process.

The protesters have been seeking reforms in the functioning of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), along with cancellation of the JSSC-Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examination.

Students Demand Independent Probe

The protesting students have also demanded an independent investigation into the alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.

They have sought either a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe or an inquiry by a panel of retired High Court judges from outside Jharkhand.

The agitation began on July 25 and has continued despite several rounds of discussions between representatives of the state government and the protesting students.

Six demonstrators have also been observing an indefinite hunger strike in support of their demands. Two of them have been hospitalised during the course of the agitation.

BJP Calls Statewide Bandh

The BJP has backed the protesting students and called for a statewide bandh in Jharkhand over the issue.

Jharkhand Assembly Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi accused the state government of attempting to suppress the agitation instead of addressing the students’ demands. He reiterated the BJP’s support for a CBI inquiry into the alleged irregularities.

The BJP called for the bandh after police action during Monday’s protest, when water cannons and lathi-charge were used as protesters attempted to march towards the state Assembly. Police also fired tear gas shells near Jagannathpur Temple as the protesters moved towards the Assembly complex.

Several protesters claimed they were injured, while Ranchi Police said 14 policemen sustained injuries during the protests.

JMM Accuses BJP of Politicising Agitation

The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has accused the BJP of attempting to politicise the student movement.

JMM MP Mahua Maji said Chief Minister Hemant Soren would look into the students’ grievances and appealed to protesters not to allow political parties to influence their agitation.

Soren has also appealed to the protesting students to resolve their grievances through dialogue and trust. He accused the BJP of attempting to mislead students for political gains.

Government-Student Talks Fail to Break Deadlock

The sixth round of talks between the Jharkhand government and representatives of the protesting students under the JPSC-JSSC Manch ended without a breakthrough on Sunday.

The government’s panel claimed that authorities had accepted around 98 per cent of the students’ demands, but the protesters rejected the claim and maintained that several key issues remained unresolved.

The students refused to call off their agitation and continued to demand an independent investigation and reforms in the recruitment examination system.

Former JPSC Chief Arrested in Case

Meanwhile, the Jharkhand CID has intensified its investigation into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.

Former JPSC chairperson L Khiangte was arrested by the state probe agency in connection with the case, according to a senior CID official. His arrest took the total number of people arrested by the state agency in the case to 20.

The arrests and ongoing investigation have added to the students’ demand for an independent probe.

With the agitation now entering its 18th day, the deadlock between the government and the protesting students continues. The students are pressing for concrete recruitment reforms, cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination and an independent investigation, while the government has maintained that the grievances should be addressed through dialogue.