Four students, including student leader Devendra Nath Mahto, ended a 16-day hunger strike at Ranchi Sadar Hospital at around 1.15 am on Tuesday, 18 August, after the Jharkhand government cancelled all examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) and TDPL. The decision, taken at a special Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday, marks a partial victory for students who had been agitating for 24 days — but the broader movement is far from over.

How the Hunger Strike Ended

The four protesters — Devendra Nath Mahto, Umm-e-Habiba, Prem Nayak, and Kush Mahto — formally ended their fast after state ministers Deepika Pandey Singh and Irfan Ansari offered them juice at the hospital. Speaking after breaking his fast, Mahto said: 'Today, on the 16th day of our hunger strike, we ended our fast in a dignified manner. With the joint initiative of Jharkhand Health Minister Irfan Ansari, Minister Deepika Pandey and our MLA Jairam Mahto, we decided to suspend our hunger strike. All the demands for which we had been protesting constitutionally and peacefully have been fulfilled...'

JLKM president Jairam Kumar Mahato welcomed the government's move, calling it historic. 'I would undoubtedly thank the government. This is a historic decision, as the CGL examination process had already reached the joining stage. Despite this, the government respected the sentiments of the students...' he said.

Celebrations at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium

The cancellation announcement triggered jubilant scenes at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, where students had gathered in protest. Despite heavy rain, demonstrators embraced, distributed sweets, raised slogans, and celebrated with colours and fireworks. They described the scrapping of the JSSC-CGL examination as a landmark outcome after nearly a month of sustained agitation.

Notably, the CGL process had reportedly already reached the joining stage — making the government's decision to cancel it all the more significant, and politically costly.

What the Government Has Decided

Beyond cancelling the JSSC-CGL and TDPL examinations, the Soren Cabinet has ordered a comprehensive enquiry into all recruitment examinations conducted by the JPSC and JSSC since 2014. Chief Minister Hemant Soren stated that investigations by the SIT and CID had already uncovered 'several important and startling facts', including indications of alleged collusion among different agencies. A reform committee headed by IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal has also been constituted to recommend measures for greater transparency in future examinations.

Agitation Continues: CBI Probe Remains the Flashpoint

JPSC-JSSC Reform Forum spokesperson Ravindra Paswan made clear that the cancellation, while welcome, does not close the chapter. 'The government had accepted their most important demand by cancelling the examinations, but no decision had yet been taken on the CBI probe,' he said, adding that the agitation would continue until there was clarity on the issue.

Student leader Piyush Kumar described the cancellation as the 'first major victory' but flagged that several matters — including the 11th to 13th JPSC Civil Services Examination — remain unresolved. Protesters have said they will study the government's official notification before deciding their next course of action.

This is the second major student-led examination-irregularity agitation in the state in recent years, reflecting a pattern of institutional trust deficit in Jharkhand's public recruitment machinery. With a CBI probe still pending and the JPSC Civil Services examinations under scrutiny, the standoff between the student movement and the Soren government is likely to shape the political landscape in the weeks ahead.