State-wide bandh has been called by Jharkhand Youth Association (JYA) protesting against the new recruitment policy of the state government. The students group are demanding the 60-40 ratio-based employment policy to be scrapped and the 1932-Khatiyan (land settlement) based policy to be introduced.
The students group have also planned to gherao Chief Minister residence at Kanke Road. The state government has issued prohibitory orders in wake of the student organisation’s programme to lay siege over the chief minister’s official residence in Kanke Road tomorrow. This prohibition will be applicable from 08.00 am to 11.30 pm on 17.04.2023.
Over 100 students took out a torchlight procession on Sunday in the state capital, from Ranchi University building to Albert Ekka Chowk asking shopkeepers to keep their shops closed.
As per district administration prohibitory orders, no procession, rally, demonstration, Gherao etc. can be organized within the 200m periphery of the chief minister’s residence. A joint order has been issued by Ranchi DC and SSP in this connection. Apart from this, gathering or walking of five or more than five persons at one place in the said area and carrying any type of weapon, such as a gun, rifle, revolver, pistol, bomb, gunpowder etc will be prohibited. Officials and employees engaged in government work and religious and funeral programmes have been given exemption from the prohibitory order.
The students organization have also planned a torchlight procession on April 18 and observing the entire Jharkhand bandh on April 19. Meanwhile, Court Sub-Divisional Magistrate has also issued notice to 15 student leaders anticipating law and order problems due to a united protest. The student leaders have been directed to fill a bond of Rs 10 thousand assuring the district administration that they will maintain peace for the next one year.
The call for bandh came after the state government on 3 March announced amendments to various rules related to Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) examinations. The students claim that the government had earlier promised to provide employment on the basis of the 1932 khatiyan.
But, the amendments point towards the pre-2016 employment policy provisioning a 60-40 ratio which is not acceptable to student unions
In November 2022, the government passed a bill in the state assembly with the aim of fixing land records of 1932 as the basis to determine the state’s domicile and the state’s employment policy. The bill has provisions to reserve class III & IV government jobs for the locals.
However, the Jharkhand High Court scrapped the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) Examination Rules 2021 which mandated that the general category government aspirants must complete classes 10th and 12th from the state for appearing in examinations.
In the new employment policy which was notified in March 2023, the government introduced a 60:40 formula meaning, the quota level would go up to 60% while 40% would remain open, but aspirants might be asked to give a declaration about their domicile.
The JSY had planned the bandh on first week of April, but it was postponed till April 19 in the wake of the demise of state education minister, Jagarnath Mahto. "We have rescheduled our plan for Jharkhand bandh and now it will be held on April 19. We will Gherao CM house on April 17. The decision was taken in view of the demise of our Education minister, who was the only minister to have raised a strong voice for 1932-Khatiyan-based employment policy," JSSU leader Devendra Mahto said.