A student agitation over alleged irregularities in Jharkhand's 14th Civil Services Preliminary Examination entered its 16th consecutive day on Sunday, 9 August, at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi, with no resolution in sight after a second round of talks between student representatives and the state government collapsed without agreement. The protest, which erupted after alleged irregularities in the examination conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) came to light on 2 July, shows no signs of abating.

Health Crisis at the Protest Site

Student leader Devendra Nath Mahato, who has been on a hunger strike since 2 August, saw a sharp deterioration in his condition late on Saturday night. A medical team was deployed to the protest site and administered saline after his blood sugar levels dropped significantly. According to doctors present, the intervention was taken as a precautionary measure.

Mahato confirmed the development, saying, “At around 2:30 a.m., they took a blood sample and conducted a test. The blood sugar level was very low. After that, they started administering saline, and since then, the condition has improved slightly.” Despite his worsening health, Mahato has stated he will not withdraw from the agitation until a concrete resolution is reached.

Students Allege Suppression Attempts

Student leader Chandan accused the police and administration of attempting to disperse protesters from the demonstration site under the cover of darkness. “Police officers and the administration were attempting to remove the students from the protest site at night,” he said, adding that students would not back down from their demands.

Another hunger-striking leader, Prem Nayak, on his sixth day of fasting, alleged that deliberate efforts were being made to weaken the movement while the government continued to call delegations for talks without acting on their demands. “I just want to make it clear to the government not to waste our time by calling us for talks and not accepting our demands,” Nayak said.

What the Students Are Demanding

The protesters’ core demands centre on the cancellation of the examinations in which they allege irregularities occurred, an impartial investigation into the JPSC recruitment process, and greater transparency in future examinations. Student leader Mahendra Prasad Mandal framed the protest in broader terms, stating it was not only about the current cycle but about protecting the future of aspirants who depend on government employment.

“After spending my student life, when we could not get jobs because of the corrupt system in Jharkhand, we decided to go on a hunger strike for the sake of future generations,” Mandal said, adding that a protest march to the Assembly was planned for 10 August.

Two Rounds of Talks, No Breakthrough

The first round of talks, held on Friday, involved a five-member government delegation and a 10-member student delegation. Students placed their full list of demands before the government and sought clear commitments. The second round, held on Saturday, ended similarly without any agreement, with neither side bridging the gap on the key issues.

The Jharkhand government has not publicly announced any concrete steps to address the students’ demands. With a march to the state Assembly planned and hunger strikers’ health deteriorating, pressure on the government is likely to intensify in the coming days.