The Jharkhand government held talks with several student groups on Saturday as protests over alleged paper leaks and irregularities in recruitment examinations entered their 15th day. However, the meetings failed to break the deadlock, with protesting aspirants saying the agitation would continue until their demands are met.
The latest talks came a day after the government met a 10-member delegation of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch on Friday night. On Saturday, a five-member government panel, including three ministers, first met the faction led by JLKM leader Devendra Nath Mahto and later held discussions with delegations from the Congress-backed NSUI, ACS and Jharkhand Chhatra Morcha (JCM).
Government holds back-to-back meetings with student groups
The first Saturday meeting was with Mahto's JPSC-JSSC Candidates' Forum and lasted around two hours. Mahto's hunger strike over the issue had entered its seventh day.
State minister Sanjay Prasad Yadav, who is part of the government panel, said after the meetings, "Demands of protesting aspirants are genuine; we will place these before Chief Minister Hemant Soren."
State minister Dipika Pandey Singh said the discussions took place in a positive atmosphere and that the recruitment discrepancies raised by students would be resolved soon.
Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar said the government has also issued an email address, jpsc.jssc.feedback@gmail.com, inviting suggestions from aspirants on reforms to the recruitment process.
Students refuse to end agitation
The JPSC-JSSC Candidates' Forum said the government had assured it of a quick decision on the issues raised during the meeting. However, a forum leader said the protests would continue until all demands, including cancellation of the 14th JPSC examination, were accepted.
Mahto said the protesters had been demanding the immediate cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand PSC Civil Services Examination as well as all examinations conducted by the agency.
"We have been demanding immediate cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand PSC Civil Services Examination, and all exams conducted by that agency," Mahto told PTI.
He said students had been protesting peacefully for more than two weeks and urged the government to fulfil their demands without further delay.
"They should not procrastinate on it. How the government responds to the demands will be interesting to see. If the government had fulfilled the demands on Friday after the talks they held with the 10-member delegation of students, there would be no need for the meeting today, because our demands are almost the same," Mahto said.
The protesters are seeking an independent investigation into the alleged irregularities, either by the CBI or through a panel of retired High Court judges from outside Jharkhand.
Different groups put forward separate demands
The ruling JMM's student wing, Jharkhand Chhatra Morcha, submitted five demands to the government panel, including cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand PSC Civil Services Examination.
The NSUI submitted six demands. These included a CID probe into all JPSC and JSSC examinations facing allegations, to be completed within 90 days, as well as the creation of a Jharkhand Testing Agency (JTA) on the lines of the National Testing Agency, according to NSUI spokesperson Sanjiv Shah.
Meanwhile, the separate delegation led by student representative Ravindra Paswan had earlier said on Friday that it had asked the government to cancel the papers, introduce reforms and conduct an investigation.
Paswan said the government had heard the delegation's demands and asked the students to submit their information and evidence in writing. The group said it would submit the written information and evidence by Saturday evening, after which the government would respond and indicate when the next meeting would take place.
Protesters set August 10 deadline
The students have said the agitation will end if the government accepts their demands before August 10. If the demands are not met, they plan to continue the movement and gherao the Jharkhand Assembly on August 10.
Ravishankar, a member of Mahto's delegation, said the group had asked the government to focus on finding solutions to the immediate problems. He also acknowledged that some demands could take longer because they involve legal issues.
Among the demands raised were cancellation of the examinations and cancellation of the postings of people who were appointed on the basis of these examinations. Ravishankar said the government would call the delegation for another meeting, but the agitation would continue until the demands were accepted.
Paswan had also explained why his group and Mahto's delegation were operating separately despite having similar demands. He said Mahto was associated with a political party and that his group did not want the government to view the student movement as politically affiliated. He added that he expected Mahto's demands to also be in the interest of students.
Mahto raises concern over health
Mahto said his health had been deteriorating during his hunger strike.
"My health condition is deteriorating day by day. Blood pressure and sugar levels are dropping. The doctor informed me about a chest infection and advised hospital admission. If these conditions continue, it will be dangerous for me. I am only able to listen, think, and speak slowly," he said.
Mahto's hunger strike entered its seventh day on Saturday, while two other people were also shown alongside him as they continued their hunger strike.
19 arrested in JPSC irregularities case
The agitation comes amid an ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities in JPSC examinations. So far, 19 people have been arrested in connection with the matter.
The agency's former chairman, L Khiangte, has also been questioned four times since July 28.
ABVP students march towards CM residence
On Saturday, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) also held a march in support of students protesting alleged irregularities in the JPSC and JSSC CGL examinations and demanding education reforms.
ABVP students marched from Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University towards the Chief Minister's residence. They were stopped around half a kilometre before reaching the residence.
During the march, the students demanded that the investigation be transferred to the CBI, that the education system be reformed and that the examinations be cancelled. They also raised slogans saying they were going to "wake up" Chief Minister Hemant Soren over the issue.
With the government holding talks with multiple groups but no agreement emerging, the students' agitation remains unresolved, with August 10 now emerging as a key date for the next phase of the protest.
(With inputs from PTI)
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