Activist and student leader Devendra Nath Mahato has called off his hunger strike after the Jharkhand government announced the cancellation of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination and all recruitment processes conducted through TDPL. This comes after Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced the decision on Monday, saying that all examinations conducted by TDPL, along with the results declared through the agency, would be cancelled. The move came amid a prolonged student agitation over alleged irregularities and malpractice in the recruitment process.
Mahato, who had been at the forefront of the protest, welcomed the government's decision but made it clear that ending the hunger strike does not mean the broader movement for reforms is over. Following Soren's announcement, Mahato said the students would continue to cooperate with the investigation and efforts to address alleged corruption in the recruitment system. "We, the students, will continue to support this investigation and the effort to eradicate this corrupt system at its very roots, and we will persist in our struggle regarding the ongoing reform process... If our issues are resolved and our demands met, why would we need to hold further protests? We are currently awaiting an official notice," Mahato said.
He also stressed that the students wanted more than an investigation. He said the government must put in place a mechanism that prevents examination paper leaks and other irregularities from happening again. "In my life, I have seen many instances where CBI or CID investigations were ordered and then cancelled. We need a system where the government guarantees that paper leaks and irregularities will never happen again in the future; we need a guarantee of such a system... We will cooperate with the government in this endeavour, and we expect the government to continue its support in the same manner," he added.
'Our demands have been met, but battle is not over'
Mahato said action had been taken against the irregularities that had triggered the student agitation, but maintained that the protesters were not completely satisfied yet. "Action has certainly been taken regarding the irregularities and malpractice that plagued the system, the very issues we fought against, even risking our lives during the agitation. While our demands have been met, we cannot say we are fully satisfied yet, as a long battle still lies ahead," he added.
He thanked the Jharkhand government for responding to the protesters' demands and also acknowledged the role played by students, parents, the media, police and the administration during the agitation.
"Nevertheless, we extend our thanks and gratitude to the government for addressing our demands. We also thank all our friends in the media, as well as the police, the administration, the students, and the parents. However, our struggle to reform the entire education system will continue," Mahato said. He also said the next course of action would be decided after discussions among the members of the movement. "As for our future strategy, we will announce it after sitting down to discuss and deliberate on the matter," the student leader added.
What did CM Hemant Soren say?
Amid the ongoing protest by job aspirants over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday announced the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL exam and all job tests conducted by outsourced agency TDPL since 2014. The decision was taken at a marathon meeting of the cabinet chaired by Soren. "The government has decided to cancel the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) exam, which was one of the major demands of the protesting students. We have also decided to cancel all tests conducted by outsourced agency TDPL (TSR Data Processing Pvt Ltd) and the results published by it," Soren said after the cabinet meeting. He also announced the formation of an examination reforms committee headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal.
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