Thousands of students and job seekers have converged in Ranchi, the capital of India's Jharkhand state, to protest alleged irregularities in public service examinations. Police deployed tear gas in an effort to disperse the crowds, who have been demonstrating for weeks.
The immediate catalyst for the unrest was a preliminary civil service exam conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) in April. Following the announcement of results in July, candidates raised concerns after leaked answer sheets circulating on social media suggested that some successful applicants had answered a significantly lower number of questions than expected. These findings fueled suspicions of result manipulation.
The state government has stated that the allegations are under investigation by Jharkhand's Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and more than a dozen arrests have been made. The role of a private company involved in administering parts of the examination process is also being scrutinized.
Despite government assurances and concessions, including the cancellation of the disputed exam and two others, protesters maintain that their agitation will continue until all demands are met. A key demand is an investigation into the alleged irregularities by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), India's federal investigative agency. Three members of the JPSC have reportedly resigned, and the commission's chairman, L Khiangte, who was questioned and arrested, stepped down on July 22.
Protesters in Ranchi have been gathering at a stadium since July 25, with some participants reportedly sleeping in the open and going on hunger strikes. Despite tightened security measures and police attempts to disperse them, large crowds have persisted at the protest site.
These demonstrations in Jharkhand follow similar protests that took place in Delhi, organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which called off its five-week demonstration on July 25 after Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned. The CJP had garnered support from students across various Indian states.