Jharkhand Students march on assembly over recruitment exam row

Indian students marched towards the state assembly in Jharkhand on Monday as protests over alleged irregularities in government recruitment exams intensified.

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The demonstrations in Ranchi, the state capital, began on July 29. At least six protesters are currently on hunger strike, including student leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has reportedly fasted for more than a week.

“We want the whole system to change,” Mahto said, according to Indian media reports. He also called for the government to stop using a private company to conduct state civil service examinations.

Hundreds of police officers deployed around the assembly as students approached the building. Authorities surrounded the site with barbed-wire barricades amid concerns over possible unrest.

Students marched through the city while chanting slogans and demanding action over the examination process. Talks between student representatives and the state government have so far failed to produce an agreement.

The protesters want authorities to cancel several examinations conducted by a private company on behalf of the state government. They are also demanding a federal police investigation into the company’s role.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has accepted some of the protesters’ demands in an effort to ease tensions. Several members of the state body overseeing the examinations have also resigned.

“Every problem can be resolved through dialogue,” Soren said in a speech on Sunday.

The protests follow a 36-day demonstration in New Delhi over alleged failures in India’s examination system. The movement, organised by the online Cockroach Janta Party, drew national attention and contributed to calls for greater accountability in the education sector.

The wider debate has focused on examination integrity and the difficulties faced by young Indians seeking government jobs. Millions compete for a limited number of public-sector positions each year.

The Jharkhand protests also reflect wider frustration among students over recruitment processes and allegations of irregularities.

Unlike the New Delhi protests, which directly challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Jharkhand demonstrations target the state government, which opposes the BJP.

The protests are expected to continue until students and the state authorities reach an agreement on their demands.