Jharkhand to cancel JPSC exam, but students dig in over demand for CBI probe

The standoff between the Jharkhand government and protesting JPSC-JSSC aspirants hardened on Sunday after talks failed to produce an agreement, with student leaders declaring that they would not compromise until a CBI probe was announced.The protesters have now called for a massive march towards the Jharkhand Assembly on August 10, with thousands of aspirants expected to participate.The breakdown came despite multiple rounds of negotiations and a string of concessions from the government, including a decision to cancel the 14th JPSC examination, order investigations into alleged irregularities and introduce reforms in the recruitment system.But for the students, that was not enough. They maintained that their key demands, particularly a CBI investigation and action over alleged irregularities in the CGL and other JSSC examinations, remained unresolved.“We will march to the Jharkhand Assembly on August 10. We are not ready for any compromise until a CBI probe is announced,” student leaders said after meeting the government panel.CGL BECOMES ANOTHER STICKING POINT The other major point of disagreement was the students’ demand for cancellation of the CGL examination.Jharkhand Minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu said the government had told the protesters that it could not unilaterally cancel the examination because it had been conducted under directions of the High Court and the Supreme Court and remained under judicial monitoring.The results had already been declared and successful candidates had joined service, he added.As an alternative, the government offered to constitute a monitoring committee headed by a retired judge to oversee the investigation into the alleged irregularities.The students rejected the proposal.Their position remained that investigations short of a CBI probe, along with the government’s refusal to cancel the CGL examination, did not address the core of their agitation.GOVT SAYS IT ACCEPTED ‘98 PER CENT’ OF DEMANDSThe Jharkhand government, however, maintained that it had gone a long way towards addressing the students’ concerns.Sonu said that after three days of talks and consultations, the government had decided on a two-pronged investigation into alleged irregularities linked to the 14th JPSC examination and the 2023-25 backlog recruitments.The criminal aspects would be investigated by the CID, while the government would seek an Enforcement Directorate probe into suspected illicit financial transactions, he said.The government also proposed setting up a fast-track court and filing charge sheets against the accused within 90 days.For longer-term recruitment reforms, a committee comprising experts from IIT-ISM, IIM Ranchi and XLRI would be constituted.Sonu claimed the government had accepted “98 per cent” of the issues raised during the talks, arguing that the principal unresolved demand was the cancellation of the CGL examination.The students, however, have refused to wind down the agitation, insisting that the absence of a CBI probe remains a deal-breaker.- EndsPublished By: Sonali VermaPublished On: Aug 9, 2026 18:23 IST