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The CID and a special investigation team probing the alleged irregularities had uncovered several unexpected developments that could not yet be made public, Hemant Soren said.
CM Soren has announced the formation of an exam reforms committee to be headed by IAS Amitabh Kaushal. (Photo: PTI file)
Students protesting alleged irregularities in Jharkhand’s recruitment examinations is expected to take a call on Tuesday whether to end their agitation after the state government announced the cancellation of all recruitment tests conducted by TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL), including the 2024 JSSC-CGL examination.
The decision was taken at a marathon cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren at the state secretariat on Monday. He added that all examinations conducted by TDPL, along with the results declared by the agency, would also be scrapped. Soren also announced the formation of an examination reforms committee headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal, which will recommend measures to make the recruitment process more transparent and robust.
The announcement came as six students remained on hunger strike and a government panel was preparing for another round of discussions with the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, which has led the protest since July 25.
Devendra Mahto ends hunger strike
Student leader Devendra Mahto, who had been fasting for 16 days over the alleged irregularities, ended his hunger strike around midnight on Monday. Five other protesters, however, continued their fast.
Despite the announcement, the agitation did not end immediately. Protesters maintained that their principal demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the alleged examination irregularities had not been accepted, reported PTI.
Rahul Kranti, who was receiving treatment at Sadar Hospital, said the protest would continue until the government agreed to a CBI investigation.
Soren said the government was taking the allegations seriously and had already enacted the Jharkhand Competitive Examination Prevention and Redressal of Unfair Means in Recruitment Act. He assured that the legislation would be enforced strictly.
According to Soren, the CID and a special investigation team probing the alleged irregularities had uncovered several unexpected developments that could not yet be made public. He also claimed that multiple companies operating in the state appeared to be linked to what he described as a major examination racket.
The protesters earlier announced plans to gherao the chief minister’s residence on August 20 and have appealed to students from across Jharkhand to gather in Ranchi. They also demanded Soren’s resignation, accusing the JMM-Congress government of failing to take decisive action on their concerns.
JSSC CGL Exam Cancellation Sparks Protest
Meanwhile, the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination sparked a separate protest by candidates who had successfully cleared the test and obtained government jobs. A group of successful candidates gathered outside the state secretariat and urged Soren to reconsider the decision, claiming that nearly 2,000 people could lose their jobs as a result.
The opposition BJP supported the demand for a CBI investigation. Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi called on Soren to accept the protesters’ demands and questioned why the government should oppose a CBI probe if it had confidence in the recruitment process.
Marandi warned that continued inaction could drive more young people and students onto the streets and expressed support for the proposed August 20 demonstration.
By cancelling the JSSC-CGL examination and all tests conducted by TDPL, the government has conceded one of the central demands of the ongoing agitation. At the same time, it has promised a broader overhaul of the recruitment examination system through the newly proposed reforms committee and stricter implementation of the anti-unfair-means law.
The CID investigation also remained underway, with teams conducting raids in connection with the alleged examination irregularities. CID ADG Manoj Kaushik said raids were being carried out at the JSSC office as part of the probe into irregularities reported in various examinations.
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August 18, 2026, 11:25 IST
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