Jharkhand paper leak: Govt fails to break deadlock after talks with student groups

The Jharkhand government on Saturday held talks with several student outfits amid the ongoing agitation over alleged paper leaks in recruitment examinations, but failed to break the deadlock as protesting aspirants decided to continue their stir until all their demands are met.A five-member government panel comprising state ministers first met a group of protesters led by JLKM leader Devendra Nath Mahto, whose fast entered its seventh day. The panel later held discussions with delegations from the Congress-backed NSUI, Adivasi Chhatra Sangh and Jharkhand Chhatra Morcha.On Friday night, the government held similar talks with a 10-member delegation of the JPSC/JSSC Reforms Manch.“The demands of the protesting aspirants are genuine. We will place these before Chief Minister Hemant Soren,” state minister Sanjay Prasad Yadav, a member of the panel, said after the meetings. The Jharkhand Chhatra Morcha placed five demands before the government, including cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination.The NSUI submitted six demands, including a CID probe within 90 days into all JPSC and JSSC examinations under suspicion and the creation of a Jharkhand Testing Agency on the lines of the National Testing Agency, its spokesperson Sanjiv Shah said. Adivasi Chhatra Sangh leader Kartik Oraon said the group sought the inclusion of tribal and regional languages as qualifying papers in recruitment examinations, besides cancellation of tests in which irregularities had been detected.State minister Chamra Linda said the meeting was likely the last round of talks with student organisations and tribal groups. He said they had also raised concerns over recruitment backlogs and preservation of tribal languages.The government's first meeting of the day, with Mahto's JPSC-JSSC Candidates' Forum, lasted around two hours.“The government assured us of a quick decision on the issues we raised. However, our protest will continue until all our demands, including cancellation of the 14th JPSC examination, are met,” a forum leader said.State minister Dipika Pandey Singh said the talks were held in a positive atmosphere and that discrepancies in the recruitment process highlighted by students would be addressed.Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar said the government had created an email ID, [jpsc.jssc.feedback@gmail.com](mailto:jpsc.jssc.feedback@gmail.com), to seek suggestions from aspirants on reforming the recruitment process.The talks came as the agitation over alleged paper leaks entered its 15th day.“We have been demanding immediate cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand PSC Civil Services Examination and all examinations conducted by that agency,” Mahto told PTI.He said students had been protesting peacefully for more than two weeks and urged the government not to delay action.“If the government had accepted the demands after Friday's talks with the 10-member student delegation, there would have been no need for today's meeting because our demands are largely the same,” he said.Mahto also said his health was deteriorating during the fast, with falling blood pressure and sugar levels and a chest infection. He said doctors had advised hospitalisation.The protesters are demanding an independent investigation into the alleged irregularities, either by the CBI or by a panel of retired High Court judges from outside Jharkhand.So far, 19 people have been arrested in connection with alleged irregularities in JPSC examinations, while former JPSC chairman L Khiangte has been questioned four times since July 28.- EndsPublished By: Aprameya RaoPublished On: Aug 8, 2026 16:02 IST