JSSC-CGL cancelled: Jharkhand students may call off recruitment exam protest

Students protesting against alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment examinations may take a call on withdrawing the demonstration on Tuesday after the state government cancelled all recruitment tests, including the JSSC-CGL exam, conducted by an outsourced agency since 2014.

The announcement came after Chief Minister Hemant Soren chaired a marathon cabinet meeting at the state secretariat here on Monday.

He also said an exam reforms committee headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal would recommend measures to strengthen the process of recruitment tests.

"The government has decided to cancel the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) exam, which was one of the major demands of the protesting students. We have also decided to cancel all tests conducted by outsourced agency TSR Data Processing Pvt Ltd (TDPL) and the results published by it," Soren told reporters after the meeting.

The decision came as six protesters continued their hunger strike and a government panel was preparing for another round of talks with the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, which has been spearheading the agitation since July 25.

"Today, our protest enters its 25th day. We may decide whether we continue or call the agitation off after the government's announcement," a protesting student said. 

Student leader Devendra Mahto, who had been on hunger strike for 16 days over the alleged exam irregularities, broke the fast around Monday midnight, while five others were continuing it, he said. 

Students were seen celebrating and waving the Tricolour after the announcement.

Activist Sonam Wangchuk congratulated Mahto over a video call, describing the government's decision as a "victory for everyone".

"It seems that this victory is one in which no one loses. You have won, and the government has won too, because they also intend to do good. So, this is a victory where the other side does not have to face defeat. It is a victory for everyone -- a victory for India, for the people, and for Jharkhand," he said.

However, the decision failed to end the protest on Monday night as the agitators maintained that their key demand for a CBI probe into alleged examination irregularities had not been accepted.

Rahul Kranti, one of the protesters undergoing treatment at Sadar Hospital, said the agitation would continue unless the government accepted the demand for a CBI probe.

Soren said the government was concerned about the agitation and had already enacted the Jharkhand Competitive Examination Prevention and Redressal of Unfair Means in Recruitment Act, which would be implemented strictly.

"Several surprising factors emerged during the probe into exam irregularities by the CID and special investigation team. These cannot be disclosed at this juncture," Soren said, adding that several companies operating in Jharkhand appeared to be involved in a "huge exam racket".

The agitators had announced plans to gherao the chief minister's residence on August 20 and appealed to students from across the state to assemble in Ranchi.

They had also sought Soren's resignation and accused the ruling JMM-Congress alliance of failing to take concrete action on their demands.

The cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination, however, triggered a counter-protest by candidates who had cleared the examination and secured government jobs.

A group of successful candidates gathered outside the state secretariat and appealed to Soren not to cancel the examination, claiming that the move would render around 2,000 people jobless.

The opposition BJP backed the protesters' demand for a CBI probe.

Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi urged Soren to accept the students' demands and questioned why the government should fear a CBI probe if it was confident about the recruitment process.

Marandi said continued government inaction could push more youth and students onto the streets and extended moral support to the proposed August 20 demonstration.

With the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL and TDPL-conducted examinations, the government has accepted one of the agitation's most prominent demands.

The government, meanwhile, asserted that it is prepared to overhaul the examination system through the new reforms committee and stricter enforcement of the anti-unfair-means law.

Meanwhile, the CID continued raids to nab culprits involved in exam irregularities.

"We are conducting raids at the JSSC office in connection with alleged irregularities in various examinations," CID ADG Manoj Kaushik told PTI.