Ranchi, August 9, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The student protest over alleged irregularities in the 14th Civil Services Preliminary Examination conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) entered its 16th day on Sunday, with a second round of talks between the state government and protesting students ending without a breakthrough.
The students have been demonstrating continuously at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi since concerns over alleged irregularities in the examination came to light on July 2. Several student leaders are also observing hunger strikes as part of the agitation.
The protesters have accused the Jharkhand government of making repeated assurances without taking concrete action on their demands.
Student leader Devendra Nath Mahato, who has been on hunger strike since August 2, suffered a deterioration in his health late Saturday night. Doctors at the protest site found that his blood sugar level had dropped significantly and administered saline. Mahato said his condition improved slightly after the treatment but maintained that he would continue his hunger strike until a concrete solution was reached.
“At around 2:30 a.m., they took a blood sample and conducted a test. The blood sugar level was very low. After that, they started administering saline, and since then, the condition has improved slightly,” Mahato told IANS.
Another student leader, Chandan, alleged that police and the administration attempted to remove protesters from the site during the night. He said the students would continue their agitation despite Mahato’s deteriorating health.
Prem Nayak, who is also on hunger strike and said it was his sixth day of fasting, accused the government of trying to weaken the movement by repeatedly inviting student representatives for talks without addressing their core demands.
Student leader Mahendra Prasad Mandal said the agitation was also aimed at protecting the interests of future government-job aspirants. He said a protest march to the state Assembly was planned for August 10.
The students’ key demands include cancellation of the examination over the alleged irregularities, an impartial probe into the recruitment process and greater transparency in future examinations.
The first round of talks on Friday involved a five-member government delegation and a 10-member student delegation. The second round, held on Saturday, again failed to resolve differences between the two sides or persuade the protesters to withdraw their agitation.
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