The Jharkhand government has cancelled the JSSC-CGL examination and all recruitment activities linked to private agency TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL), but the decision has failed to end the students’ agitation in Ranchi, with protesters continuing to demand a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced the decision after a Cabinet meeting on Monday, bringing the cancellation after weeks of protests, hunger strikes and clashes between demonstrators and police. Students have been camping at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium for the 25th consecutive day.
The government has also ordered a comprehensive inquiry into alleged irregularities dating back to 2014 and constituted an examination reforms committee headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal.
Government Cancels All TDPL-Linked Recruitment Activities
Speaking to reporters at Jaipal Singh Stadium, Soren said the Cabinet had decided to cancel all examination and recruitment activities associated with TDPL.
“We have decided to cancel everything associated with TDPL, including the examinations conducted, the results published, the candidates selected or who participated, and all other activities carried out by TDPL,” Soren said.
The Chief Minister said findings from investigations conducted by the state’s Special Investigation Team and Criminal Investigation Department had raised serious concerns. He said the government would examine irregularities reported since 2014 as part of its broader review of the recruitment process.
The government has also opened a portal inviting students and teachers to submit suggestions on examination reforms.
Students Say CBI Probe Still Essential
For the protesters, however, cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination addresses only one part of their demands.
JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch leader Ravindra Paswan said the students remained firm on their demand for a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
Protest organisers have questioned whether an investigation by the state CID can be considered fully independent.
A core committee member of the agitation said the protesters had concerns about the state agency’s ability to investigate the matter without government influence.
“Why would we trust the CID? It often works under pressure of the state government. We’re not prejudiced against it, but the CID has itself shown that it is biased,” the committee member said.
The state government, however, has not agreed to transfer the investigation to the CBI.
August 20 Gherao Plan Still on the Table
The dispute could now escalate further.
Protest organisers had set August 18 as a deadline for the government to address their demands and warned that failure to do so would lead to a march towards the Chief Minister’s residence.
Organisers claim they are mobilising around one lakh participants for a proposed gherao on August 20 if the government does not agree to a CBI probe.
It remains unclear whether the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination will be enough to prevent the planned demonstration.
Students Seek Long-Term Recruitment Reforms
Student leader Devendra Nath Mahato, who has been associated with the agitation since its early stages, welcomed the government’s decision to cancel the examination but said the broader fight over accountability and recruitment reforms would continue.
“We, the students, will continue to support this investigation and the effort to eradicate this corrupt system at its very roots, and we will persist in our struggle regarding the ongoing reform process,” Mahato said.
Mahato said students were also seeking assurances that recruitment examinations would be protected against future paper leaks and other irregularities.
“If our issues are resolved and our demands met, why would we need to hold further protests? We are currently awaiting an official notice. In my life, I have seen many instances where CBI or CID investigations were ordered and then cancelled,” he said.
He added that the students wanted a system that could prevent similar controversies from recurring.
“We need a system where the government guarantees that paper leaks and irregularities will never happen again in the future; we need a guarantee of such a system,” Mahato said.
Protests Intensify After Weeks of Agitation
Monday’s decision came after weeks of escalating protests in Ranchi.
On August 16, demonstrators burned effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav at Albert Ekka Chowk after taking part in a torchlight procession from the stadium. Protesters accused the ruling alliance of failing to address their demands.
The confrontation had turned more serious on August 10, when police used tear gas, water cannons and lathicharge to disperse students attempting to march towards the state Assembly. Several protesters were injured in the clashes.
The government had previously cancelled the 14th JPSC preliminary examination as well as two backlog civil services examinations from 2023 and 2025. Three members of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission also resigned following a recommendation from the state government.
Officials had earlier cited court proceedings monitoring aspects of the JSSC-CGL investigation as a reason for the government’s limited ability to cancel the examination. Monday’s Cabinet decision marked a reversal of that position.
CBI Demand Keeps Protest Alive
The government has now cancelled the examination and promised a wider review of the recruitment system. The protesters, however, say their agitation will continue until the demand for a CBI probe is addressed.
For now, the focus has shifted from whether the JSSC-CGL examination will be cancelled to whether the government will agree to an independent central investigation.
With students continuing their sit-in at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium and organisers maintaining their August 20 gherao plan, the Jharkhand recruitment controversy is far from over.
