RANCHI, India — Hundreds of students and government job applicants in India's eastern state of Jharkhand are maintaining an indefinite sit-in in Ranchi, demanding the cancellation of a preliminary civil service exam held in April. The demonstrations, which began July 25 and escalated four days later, call for a new examination and a federal probe into alleged malpractice across state recruitment processes.
Protesters are demanding the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigate the allegations and seek a fast-track court to address cases linked to the reported irregularities. Several individuals, including political activist Devendra Nath Mahto, have been on a hunger strike since Sunday in support of those demands.
The unrest follows the release of results for the preliminary civil service exam last month. Some candidates claim that answer sheets shared online showed successful applicants had answered fewer questions than typically expected, fueling suspicions of manipulation.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said his government is investigating the allegations and promised justice for the students. A Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probe is underway, specifically addressing claims that the exam contract was awarded to an agency previously implicated in irregularities.
More than a dozen people have been arrested in connection with the investigation. The dispute has expanded beyond the initial civil service exam to include broader allegations of corruption in other state recruitment examinations.
Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) chairman L. Khiangte resigned July 22, before the protests began. The commission later announced the postponement of the main examination, which had been scheduled to follow the preliminary test.
Government jobs in India are highly sought after for the security and stability they offer, drawing hundreds of thousands of applicants each year to competitive exams.
The protests have drawn a political dispute within Jharkhand. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in opposition in the state, has held demonstrations outside the state assembly, and several BJP lawmakers have met with protesters and expressed support for their demands.
The Congress party, which governs Jharkhand alongside Soren's Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) but sits in national opposition, also backs the protests. Nationally, Congress has highlighted exam paper leaks and police crackdowns on student protesters in Delhi as key issues against the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth-led movement that organized a major demonstration in Delhi last month over exam paper leaks — a protest that led to a federal minister's resignation — has announced its support for the Jharkhand protesters.
