Jharkhand Exam Row: Protest Enters Day 14, Hunger Strike Day 6, as BJP Demands Transparency from CID and ACB

The standoff over alleged irregularities in Jharkhand's recruitment examinations entered its 14th day on Friday, with six demonstrators now on hunger strike, one of them hospitalised after his condition worsened, opposition leaders accusing state investigating agencies of shielding the government, and a delegation of protesters set to sit down with the Hemant Soren government for talks.

BJP Says CID and ACB Are Protecting the Guilty

Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi used the second day of the Assembly's monsoon session on Friday to accuse the state government of dodging the protesting students instead of engaging with them. He went further, claiming that Jharkhand's own investigative bodies, the CID and the Anti-Corruption Bureau, were working to shield the administration and those responsible for the alleged exam fraud rather than expose them.

Marandi did not hold back in his criticism, alleging that government positions were effectively being sold for money while young aspirants who raised their voices were being ignored.

BJP MLA Pradip Prasad echoed the demand for dialogue, calling on the government to explain why it had not yet met the protesting students. He praised the discipline shown by the young demonstrators and suggested their conduct was something the rest of the country could learn from.

AJSU MLA Nirmal Mahto took the opposition's stance a step further, declaring that the Assembly would not be allowed to function smoothly unless the Chief Minister ordered a CBI investigation into the matter. He alleged that the agencies currently probing the case were effectively working alongside the government rather than independently.

The unrest had already reached the Assembly a day earlier: Opposition MLAs raised slogans on the premises on Thursday, the first day of the Monsoon Session, before Marandi's fresh allegations on Friday, the second day.

Six on Hunger Strike as Overall Stir Hits Day 14

The broader agitation at Ranchi's Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium,  an indefinite sit-in that began on July 29,  reached its 14th day on Friday, with two student unions announcing plans to march to the State Assembly, in session at the time, later in the day.

At the centre of the hunger strike is Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) leader Devendra Nath Mahto. Speaking to ANI, Mahto said his condition had worsened to the point where he could barely hear, think or speak clearly, and described the state government's approach toward students as deeply insensitive.

Five more protesters, including two women, joined Mahto's fast on the night of Tuesday, August 4, turning what began as a solo hunger strike into a group action involving six people in total.

Mahto has been surviving on only water and salt, a step he agreed to after activist Sonam Wangchuk,  fresh off his own 26-day hunger strike in Delhi over the NEET paper leak row,  called him on Wednesday and urged him to at least start drinking water. Wangchuk had earlier clarified publicly that reports claiming Mahto had broken his fast entirely were false and he had simply added water and salt to sustain himself, not food.

Student leader Piyush Kumar said the protesters were currently in a "wait and watch" mode, with no official word yet from the government on when talks might begin. He stressed repeatedly that the movement remains strictly student-led, welcoming moral support from all quarters but refusing to align with any political party.

Protester Rushed to Hospital as Health Worsens

One of the six hunger strikers, student leader Rahul Kranti, was taken by ambulance to Ranchi Sadar Hospital on Friday after his health deteriorated, an official confirmed. Kranti, who had been fasting since Tuesday night, said earlier in the day that protesters had asked the local administration to send doctors for a health check-up at the demonstration site, but that none had arrived even by 8:30 a.m.

What the Protesting Students Are Demanding

The unrest traces back to the results of the 14th JPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination, announced on July 5, which triggered allegations of irregularities. Protesters under the banner of the JPSC JSSC Reform Manch have since kept up a round-the-clock sit-in, pressing for:

• Cancellation of all JSSC CGL, JSSC JE, and PGT examinations held after 2019
• A CBI investigation, or a probe led by retired High Court judges from outside Jharkhand
• Action against those they describe as the "mafias and agencies" behind the alleged fraud
• Release of category-wise cut-off data, OMR sheets, and response sheets for full transparency
• A fixed recruitment calendar similar to the systems followed by UPSC and SSC

11-Member Delegation Finalised for Talks With Government

In a sign of possible movement toward resolution, the protesting students have finalised an 11-member team with eight student representatives, two technical experts, and one lawyer to hold formal talks with the state government. The list of names has already been submitted to the local Sub-Divisional Officer. According to the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, the decision to send this delegation came a day after Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the government's doors were open to the agitating students. A five-member government panel is expected to meet the protesters on Friday evening to begin talks.

Some protesters have insisted that any dialogue must happen in full public view, with media present, arguing that a previous round of closed-door talks produced no real outcome. Ranchi SDM Kumar Rajat and ADM Dhananjay Kumar visited the protest site earlier in the week to hear grievances directly, describing the outreach as an effort to support the young aspirants.

Rahul Gandhi's Involvement

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi spoke directly with protesting students by phone this week and assured them he would raise their demands with the Jharkhand government, of which Congress is a coalition partner. Student leader Piyush Kumar said the group had told Gandhi clearly that they wanted the exam cancelled along with a proper investigation and systemic reforms, and that Gandhi had voiced support. During a separate Instagram interaction with young followers, Gandhi linked the Jharkhand protests to what he called a broader breakdown in the education system, pointing to similar student unrest in Dehradun, Kota and Allahabad.

Government's Response So Far

Jharkhand Minister Shilpi Neha Tirkey acknowledged that the irregularities were "shameful" but maintained that Chief Minister Hemant Soren's coalition government was carrying out a thorough investigation, including within its own institutions. She confirmed that 19 people have been arrested so far in connection with the case, with more expected to face scrutiny as the probe continues. Tirkey also referenced Soren's own remark that the investigation should proceed even if it eventually leads back to the Chief Minister's residence.

A Separate Protest Over Scholarships and Hostels

Alongside the JPSC-JSSC row, a separate hunger strike has been building outside the state education department headquarters, driven by delayed minority and post-matric scholarships along with complaints about overcrowded, poorly maintained hostels. Organised by a coalition of student unions from government colleges, this protest escalated after repeated appeals to officials went unanswered. Several participants showing signs of exhaustion have reportedly been moved to nearby medical facilities for monitoring, with additional police deployed at the site.

This second protest has also drawn attention for a notable political absence: the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which had taken a prominent role in the NEET-2026 paper leak agitation at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, has largely stayed off the ground in Jharkhand. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke announced this week that party members would travel to Jharkhand to back the protesting aspirants, framing the organisation's role as a "pressure group" pushing for institutional accountability. However, student leaders at the scholarship protest site say they have yet to see any visible CJP presence, a gap that has fuelled criticism that the party is selective about which student movements it supports.

What Happens Next

With an 11-member student delegation ready and waiting, all eyes are now on whether the Hemant Soren government will fix a date for talks and whether those talks, if held publicly as protesters want, can produce a breakthrough before the health of hunger-striking students deteriorates further. Opposition parties have signalled they will keep up pressure inside and outside the Assembly, while protest organisers have already announced a planned march to the Assembly if their demands remain unmet.

Read More: JPSC Protest: Hemant Government Offers Talks, Students Set Conditions Before Delegation