Ranchi, August 18, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Four students, including student leader Devendra Nath Mahto, ended their hunger strike early Tuesday after the Jharkhand government announced the cancellation of examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) and TDPL. However, the students’ agitation will continue over their demand for a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
Mahto, Umm-e-Habiba, Prem Nayak and Kush Mahto ended their fast at around 1:15 a.m. at Ranchi Sadar Hospital following the government’s decision. State ministers Deepika Pandey Singh and Irfan Ansari offered them juice to formally conclude the hunger strike.
Speaking after ending the fast, Mahto said it was suspended on the 16th day following a joint initiative involving Ministers Irfan Ansari and Deepika Pandey and MLA Jairam Kumar Mahato. He said the demands for which the students had been protesting peacefully and constitutionally had been fulfilled.
Jairam Kumar Mahato, president of the JLKM, welcomed the government’s decision and described it as historic, noting that the CGL examination process had already reached the joining stage.
The decision to cancel the examinations was taken at a special Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday.
The announcement triggered celebrations among students protesting at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium. Despite heavy rain, protesters embraced one another, distributed sweets, raised slogans and celebrated with colours and fireworks. They described the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination as a major victory after 24 days of agitation.
However, the students said the movement would not end completely. Their principal pending demand is a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
JPSC-JSSC Reform Forum spokesperson Ravindra Paswan said the government had accepted the students’ major demand by cancelling the examinations, but no decision had been taken on the CBI probe. He said the agitation would continue until there was clarity on the issue.
Student leader Piyush Kumar described the government’s decision as the “first major victory” but said several issues, including the 11th to 13th JPSC Civil Services Examination, remained unresolved. The protesters are expected to examine the government’s decision and the official notification before deciding their next course of action.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren had earlier said that investigations by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) into the JSSC-CGL matter had revealed several important facts, including indications of alleged collusion among different agencies.
The state government has also decided to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into recruitment examinations conducted by the JPSC and JSSC since 2014.
In addition, a committee headed by IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal has been constituted to recommend reforms aimed at making the examination system more transparent and preventing irregularities in the future.
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