Students threaten "Recruitment Reform Yatra" as Jharkhand HC stays exam cancellations
A clash erupted on Friday between police and students demonstrating against alleged irregularities in Jharkhand's recruitment examinations in Ranchi, as protesters attempted to burn effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, officials said.
Student leaders operating under the banner of the 'JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch' have accused the state government of "deceiving" and "betraying" job aspirants, following the high court's decision to stay certain notifications that had cancelled appointments made through the 11th and 13th JPSC examinations, as well as the JSSC-CGL exam.
"They gathered in large number at the prominent Albert Chowk to burn effigies of CM Soren and Rahul Gandhi. When the police tried to control them, a scuffle broke out… JMM workers were also present at the spot," an official said.
Similar confrontations were reported in Hazaribag and Giridih, where JMM workers clashed with students attempting to burn effigies of Soren.
Separately, JLKM student leader Devendra Nath Mahto alleged on Friday that the state government was not mounting a strong defence in the high court over the cancellation of several recruitment exams. He said the student body would launch a 'Recruitment System Reform Yatra' on August 24 and cautioned that if the government failed to present its case effectively before the Jharkhand High Court on September 15, the next hearing date — the students would plan to gherao the chief minister's residence.
The High Court on Friday stayed notifications that had cancelled the appointments of Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) and candidates recruited through the JSSC-CGL exam. A day earlier, on Thursday, the court had also stayed notifications cancelling the 11th and 13th JPSC examinations, along with the order cancelling appointments of food safety officers.
"When the court asked the government to present its side in the matter, why did their Advocate General not appear on the first day itself and why did the government not strongly present its CID investigation? This has hurt the students and the general public of the state," Mahto said.
"We are now going to launch a 'Bharti Vyavastha Sudhar Yatra' (Recruitment System Reform Yatra) on August 24 from Nemra, the birthplace of Dishom Guru Shibu Soren," he said.
According to Mahto, the yatra will travel through all 24 districts of the state to raise awareness among students and the wider public about what he described as the government's attempt to cover up the issue.
Mahto, who had earlier led protests under the banner of JPSC/JSSC Abhyarthi Nyaya Manch, had undertaken a 16-day hunger strike, which he called off at midnight on Monday — a day after the government decided to cancel several recruitment examinations conducted by the JPSC, JSSC and a private agency.
He clarified that the movement was not directed against any individual candidate, but against corruption, irregularities and systemic flaws in the recruitment examination process. (With inputs from PTI)
