Ranchi, Aug. 5: The Jharkhand government on Wednesday initiated efforts to open a dialogue with students protesting against alleged irregularities in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) recruitment examinations, even as the agitating aspirants insisted that any negotiations must be held publicly in the presence of the media.
The students’ satyagraha entered its 12th day at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi, where hundreds of aspirants have been demanding a transparent probe and action over the alleged recruitment examination irregularities.
Ranchi Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Kumar Rajat visited the protest site and conveyed the government’s willingness to hold discussions. He requested the protesters to nominate a delegation of five to seven representatives for formal talks.
“The government is ready to discuss every issue and work towards a resolution through dialogue,” Rajat told the protesters.
However, the students rejected the proposal for closed-door discussions, maintaining that any talks should be conducted transparently in the presence of the media and cameras.
“We will hold talks only if the discussions are conducted transparently in the presence of the media and cameras,” representatives of the protesting students said, arguing that the issue affects the future of thousands of job aspirants and therefore demands complete transparency and accountability.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Hemant Soren met Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar at Lok Bhavan and briefed him on the developments surrounding the ongoing agitation.
“The government is closely monitoring the situation and will ensure that no injustice is done to the students,” Soren said.
The Chief Minister said complaints regarding alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations were already under investigation and that the concerned agencies were working with urgency.
“Complaints regarding recruitment examination irregularities are under investigation, and the concerned agencies are working with urgency,” he said, adding that anyone with grievances could approach the administration and that the investigating agencies were functioning independently.
Soren also observed that allegations of irregularities in recruitment examinations had surfaced in several states, giving the issue wider significance.
“The issue has acquired national significance and, if necessary, it can also be raised with the Union Home Minister,” the Chief Minister said.
The government’s outreach marks the first formal attempt to engage with the protesters since the agitation began, although the differing positions on the format of the talks indicate that a consensus is yet to be reached.
