Ranchi, Aug 18: Student activist Devendra Nath Mahto ended his 16-day hunger strike at a hospital in Ranchi after the Jharkhand government agreed to a key demand of protesting job aspirants, but the wider agitation over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations continued.Mahto, who emerged as one of the prominent faces of the student movement, had been admitted to a hospital after his health condition deteriorated during the prolonged fast.
State ministers were present when he called off the hunger strike, following the government’s decision to cancel the disputed recruitment examination.The protests began on July 25 after students and job aspirants raised allegations of irregularities in government recruitment examinations and sought greater transparency in the selection process.The agitation gained momentum following the announcement of results of a preliminary civil services examination.
Some candidates questioned the results after allegedly noticing discrepancies in answer sheets circulated online, prompting demands for an independent investigation.The state government subsequently agreed to cancel the preliminary examination and ordered a probe by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Several arrests have also been made in connection with the alleged irregularities, including the head of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission, according to the report.
However, protesters said these measures did not address all their concerns.They have continued to demand cancellation of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination and a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into alleged irregularities in other recruitment examinations.The protesters have made clear that ending Mahto’s hunger strike does not mean the broader agitation has been withdrawn.
The issue has drawn considerable attention as government recruitment examinations are highly competitive in India, with large numbers of candidates spending years preparing for jobs that offer employment stability and security.Allegations of question-paper leaks, manipulation or use of unfair means can therefore have serious consequences for candidates and can lead to delays and uncertainty in recruitment.
The Jharkhand government is now expected to proceed with the cancellation of the disputed examination and the ongoing CID investigation, while student representatives continue to press for their remaining demands.The protesters’ next course of action is likely to depend on the government’s response to their demand for a CBI probe and their stand on the JSSC-CGL examination.
