Jharkhand Students March on Assembly Demanding JSSC-CGL Cancellation

Students under the JPSC-JSSC Reform Morcha marched toward the Jharkhand Assembly in Ranchi on August 10, demanding cancellation of the JSSC-CGL recruitment exam over alleged irregularities. Police used water cannons as protesters crossed three layers of barricading, and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi was among those detained.

Why Students Are Demanding JSSC-CGL Cancellation

The protest, organised as a "Vidhan Sabha Gherao" by the JPSC-JSSC Reform Morcha and backed by Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) leader Devendra Nath Mahto, centres on three demands: full cancellation of the JSSC-CGL recruitment exam over alleged irregularities, a CID investigation into both JPSC and JSSC examinations, and the creation of a dedicated Jharkhand Testing Agency to run future recruitment exams.

How the Assembly March Unfolded

Students gathered near the Jharkhand Assembly on the morning of August 10. As protesters attempted to breach security around the building, they crossed three layers of police barricading, and Jharkhand Police responded with water cannons. Mahto, nine days into a hunger strike over the same demand, joined the march by ambulance. Police detained former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi and BJP leader Aditya Sahu near the Chief Minister's residence during the demonstration.

Enforcement Directorate Opens Money-Laundering Probe

The Enforcement Directorate registered a formal investigation into the alleged exam irregularities under money-laundering statutes on August 10, adding a federal financial-crime angle to a dispute that had so far centred on state-level exam administration and policing.

What Political Leaders Have Said

JLKM MLA Jairam Kumar Mahato said: "The government indeed accepted several demands; I thank them for this. But the important demand is about the JSSC-CGL exam." JMM MP Mahua Maji said the government had accepted 98 percent of the protesters' demands. Student leader Ravindra Paswan said the march would be "completely peaceful and conducted constitutionally." Mahto himself appealed to Chief Minister Hemant Soren, saying "the government will have to listen to us," and urged the administration to avoid police action that could cause injury.

Has the Jharkhand Government Cancelled the JSSC-CGL Exam?

No formal statement from the Jharkhand government or JSSC on the cancellation demand had been issued as of publication. Statements from JLKM and JMM leaders describe partial acceptance of the protesters' broader demands, but neither is an official government order, and protesters dispute the "98 percent" characterisation, saying their central demand remains unresolved.

What This Means for JSSC-CGL Candidates

Candidates connected to the JSSC-CGL exam should treat the situation as unresolved and rely only on an official JSSC or Jharkhand government notice for any decision on the exam's status, rather than political statements from either side of the dispute.

Jharkhand JSSC-CGL Protest FAQs