Jharkhand JPSC Row: Students announce 8-member delegation; assembly session begins amid political storm
SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA Ranchi, Aug. 6: The Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) recruitment controversy dominated the political and administrative landscape on Thursday,…
SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA
Ranchi, Aug. 6: The Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) recruitment controversy dominated the political and administrative landscape on Thursday, with the protesting students announcing an eight-member delegation for talks with the state government, while the Hemant Soren government constituted a four-member ministerial committee to negotiate with the agitating aspirants.
The issue also reverberated through the opening day of the Monsoon Session of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly, where BJP and JD(U) legislators staged protests demanding a CBI probe into the alleged recruitment irregularities. Ministers defended the government’s handling of the issue. At the same time, the BJP intensified its attack on the ruling alliance over what it described as a recruitment scam that had jeopardised the future of thousands of unemployed youth.
Despite both sides naming their respective teams, no formal invitation had been extended to the students for the first round of talks till Thursday evening.
In a bid to end the deadlock over the ongoing agitation, the state government constituted a four-member ministerial committee comprising Deepika Pandey Singh, Sudivya Kumar, Chamra Linda and Sanjay Prasad Yadav to hold discussions with the protesting students.
The decision came a day after Ranchi SDO and ADM visited the protest site at Jaipal Singh Stadium to initiate dialogue on behalf of the government.
Following the preliminary discussions, the students were invited to meet Chief Minister Hemant Soren at his official residence. However, they declined the invitation, insisting that discussions should be held through an institutional mechanism rather than at the Chief Minister’s residence. The government subsequently announced the ministerial panel.
Students unveil negotiation team
Responding to the government’s move, the protesting students announced an eight-member delegation to represent them during the proposed talks.
The delegation comprises Ravindra Paswan, Piyush Kumar Singh, Ravindra Kumar Ravi, Rajesh Prasad, Neetu Kujur, Kartik Soren, Sandeep Kumar and Shalu Singh.
The students also nominated senior journalists Shambhunath Chaudhary and Vikas Verma, along with legal expert Ajit Kumar, as guardians and mentors.
Clarifying the protocol for the proposed meeting, the students said only the eight representatives would participate in the discussions and present their demands, facts and evidence before the government. The journalists and legal expert would remain observers and would neither participate in the negotiations nor make any statements. They also clarified that no cameras, microphones, recording devices or sound systems would be carried inside the meeting venue.
However, despite constituting their delegation, the students were yet to receive an official invitation from the government for the talks.
Protest enters crucial phase
The agitation by JPSC aspirants entered its second week, with students continuing their sit-in protest at Jaipal Singh Stadium in Ranchi despite rain and humid weather.
The protesters are demanding cancellation of the 14th JPSC Preliminary Examination, a CBI investigation into the alleged recruitment irregularities and a comprehensive probe into recruitment examinations conducted by both the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) over the past several years.
The movement gained momentum after the CID launched an investigation into alleged irregularities in the 14th JPSC examination.
So far, the CID has arrested 19 persons, including alleged middleman Abhay Tiwari and several JPSC officials, in connection with the case.
Finance Minister: Issue is not a paper leak
Amid the political debate, Finance Minister Radha Krishna Kishore asserted that the controversy should not be viewed as a paper leak case.
He said the issue was related to alleged “back-door appointments” and recruitment carried out with mala fide intentions rather than leakage of examination papers.
According to the minister, those responsible for manipulating the recruitment process were being identified and legal action was underway. He maintained that the government shared the students’ objective of ensuring transparency in public recruitment and was committed to taking the investigation to its logical conclusion.
Opposition corners government in Assembly
The JPSC controversy overshadowed the opening day of the Monsoon Session of the Jharkhand Assembly.
Before the House assembled, BJP and JD(U) legislators staged a demonstration at the Assembly entrance, raising slogans against the government and demanding a CBI inquiry into the alleged recruitment scam.
Holding placards reading “Jharkhand Government, Come to Your Senses” and “Enemies of Employment, Resign,” the legislators alleged that the state government had failed to protect the interests of unemployed youth.
The opposition also demanded a CBI investigation into JSSC and Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examinations, signalling that the recruitment controversy would remain one of its principal issues during the Assembly session.
BJP demands cancellation of examination
BJP state spokesperson Sandeep Verma alleged that the government had deliberately curtailed the duration of the Monsoon Session to avoid debate on issues affecting students, unemployment and corruption.
He claimed that despite students protesting continuously for nearly two weeks under difficult conditions, the government had failed to respond meaningfully to their demands.
Verma demanded immediate cancellation of the 14th JPSC Preliminary Examination and a CBI inquiry into all recruitment examinations conducted by JPSC and JSSC over the past seven years.
He further alleged that the recovery of post-dated cheques and land-related documents from individuals linked to the investigation warranted an independent probe.
Aditya Sahu attacks Congress
BJP state president and Rajya Sabha MP Aditya Sahu launched a sharp attack on the Congress, accusing it of remaining silent on the student agitation despite being part of the ruling coalition in Jharkhand.
He alleged that recruitment examinations conducted since 2019 had repeatedly been marred by irregularities, affecting the careers of thousands of aspirants.
Sahu said Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge had spoken extensively on examination-related issues elsewhere in the country but had not commented on the agitation in Jharkhand.
He demanded the resignation of Chief Minister-cum-Education Minister Hemant Soren, reiterated the BJP’s demand for a CBI inquiry into all recruitment examinations and urged the Congress to either support the students’ demands or reconsider its support to the JMM-led government.
He also alleged that students protesting in Ranchi had faced administrative restrictions, including denial of permission to erect tents and disruption of electricity supply, despite continuing their agitation through heavy rain and hunger strikes.
Focus shifts to government-student talks
With both the government and the protesting students having constituted their respective teams, attention is now centred on the proposed dialogue, which is expected to determine the future course of the agitation.
While the formation of the ministerial committee and the student delegation has raised hopes of a breakthrough, the absence of a formal invitation for talks suggests that negotiations are yet to begin.
As the JPSC recruitment controversy continues to dominate the Assembly, public discourse and political debate, the outcome of the proposed talks is expected to be crucial in shaping both the government’s response and the future of one of Jharkhand’s most significant recruitment controversies in recent years.
