Jharkhand Paper Leak Row Enter Day 12: Why Thousands Of Students Are Protesting
The massive student agitation over alleged paper leaks and recruitment irregularities in Jharkhand entered its 12th day on Wednesday, August 5, with thousands of government job aspirants continuing their indefinite protest in Ranchi.
The demonstrators are demanding a CBI investigation, cancellation of allegedly compromised examinations, and sweeping reforms to restore trust in the state’s recruitment process.
The protest, centred at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium and near Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in Ranchi, is being led by student leader Devendra Mahto, who remains on a hunger strike.
Despite adverse weather, students have continued sit-ins, marches and demonstrations, saying they will not end the agitation until the government takes concrete action.
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The agitation follows allegations of repeated paper leaks and examination irregularities across several recruitment and academic examinations in Jharkhand.
Among the examinations under scrutiny are the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) Civil Services Preliminary Examination, the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) Combined Graduate Level (CGL) Examination, Excise Constable and Junior Engineer recruitment tests, and the Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) Class 10 board examinations, where Hindi and Science question papers were allegedly leaked on social media, leading to cancellations and rescheduled exams.
Students allege that recurring paper leaks, solver gangs and tampering of OMR sheets have destroyed the credibility of the state’s recruitment system and affected the future of thousands of aspirants.
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On Wednesday, protesters intensified their agitation by organising a march towards the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly, demanding a CBI probe into the alleged recruitment scam. Security has been tightened across Ranchi as the protest gathers momentum.
The movement has also intensified political pressure on the Hemant Soren-led government, with opposition parties calling for an independent central investigation instead of state-led inquiries.
Meanwhile, the Jharkhand CID has expanded its investigation into the alleged irregularities. Former JPSC Chairman L. Khiangte is being questioned in connection with the case, while police teams have conducted raids in Ranchi, Dhanbad, Hazaribagh, Palamu and neighbouring areas of Bihar to uncover networks allegedly involved in examination fraud.
Apart from a CBI investigation, the protesters have placed several long-term demands before the government. These include cancelling compromised examinations, blacklisting testing agencies linked to paper leak controversies, splitting examination responsibilities among multiple independent agencies, introducing tamper-proof digital backups of OMR sheets, setting up fast-track courts for paper leak cases, and ensuring administrative accountability for officials responsible for recruitment examinations.
Students say these reforms are essential to prevent future irregularities and restore confidence in Jharkhand’s examination system.
