Jharkhand Ministers And Protesting Students Meet, Agitation To Continue

Ranchi: The Jharkhand government has said it is willing to consider the demands of protesting students "sympathetically" after holding its first formal round of talks with representatives of the agitation while student leaders made it clear that their movement would continue until all their demands -- including the cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) examination--are accepted.The negotiations, held at the State Guest House in Ranchi on Friday evening, came as protests over alleged irregularities in the JPSC recruitment process entered their 14th day. In a parallel development, the state CID has summoned three serving members of the JPSC for questioning.Speaking after the meeting, Jharkhand Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar said the government had listened carefully to the concerns raised by the students."We met a delegation of protesting students. The government is sensitive to their demands and is ready to consider them sympathetically," Kumar said.Despite what both sides described as positive discussions, the student leaders insisted that the agitation would continue. According to news agency PTI, the students have planned to march to the state assembly on August 10 if demands were not met by Sunday."This was the first round of talks. We informed the government about our demands. Our demands were heard and positive discussions took place. But the movement will continue," a student leader said.