A protest by students in Jharkhand turned tense after police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators during a march. The students had gathered to raise their demands and attempted to move towards the state Assembly.
Jharkhand protest details
The massive protests in Jharkhand are being driven by thousands of government job aspirants and student groups agitating against widespread corruption, paper leaks, and systemic irregularities in state recruitment examinations.
It is primarily organised under the banner of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch; the agitation escalated into a large-scale march toward the State Legislative Assembly in Ranchi.
The root cause of the anger is a preliminary civil service exam held by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) in April. When the results were announced in July, candidates alleged that leaked answer sheets shared on social media showed some successful applicants had answered far fewer questions than expected.
This fuelled suspicions that the results had been manipulated. The protesters have been demonstrating for over two weeks now, demanding an overhaul of Jharkhand's government exam system.
Actions taken by the police
On Monday, many attempted to breach police barricades, causing police to use water cannons, batons and tear gas to try and disperse crowds, officials say.
As the protesters continued their march, police personnel intervened and attempted to stop them from moving beyond the designated area. The situation escalated when some protesters tried to push through the security barricades.
Police then used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd. The action led to brief clashes between the protesters and security personnel, creating tension at the protest site. The protesting students raised slogans and demanded that the state government address their concerns.
They also called for action on issues affecting students and young people in the state. Security was tightened in and around the protest area as authorities attempted to maintain law and order. Police officials said necessary measures were taken to prevent the situation from escalating further.
Ranchi City Superintendent of Police Paras Rana said that most protesters had been peaceful but accused a smaller group of breaking through barricades and throwing stones at officers. He said three policemen had been injured.
The protest has drawn attention to the demands of students in Jharkhand, with protesters urging the government to hold discussions and take appropriate steps to address their concerns.
Reply from government side
The state government has assured students that they will get justice. The allegations around the exam are being investigated by Jharkhand's Criminal Investigation Department (CID). More than a dozen people have been arrested.
Investigators are also examining the role of a private company that conducted parts of the exam process after candidates raised questions about how it was selected.
After talks with protesters on Sunday, the government agreed to cancel the exam in question, along with two others. Three JPSC members also reportedly resigned.
This came after JPSC chairman L Khiangte stepped down on 22 July. He was questioned in the investigation and arrested on Monday.
But protesters say several demands remain unmet, chief among them an investigation into the irregularities by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), India's premier federal investigative agency.
The protests are still happening because the students feel the government's actions are a superficial cover-up rather than a complete cleanup of a systemically corrupt network.
While Chief Minister Hemant Soren's administration claims it met 98% of the student demands by cancelling three JPSC exams, the agitating youth completely rejected this narrative.
