Students in Ranchi held an ‘Aabhaar Yatra’ on August 19 to thank the Jharkhand government after it accepted their central demand to cancel the JSSC Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination amid allegations of irregularities and malpractice.
Led by student activist Devendra Nath Mahato, the procession moved from Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium towards Albert Ekka Chowk, with students celebrating the decision after 24 days of agitation.
The state Cabinet had on August 17 cancelled the JSSC-CGL process and examinations, results and selections linked to testing agency TSR Data Processing Pvt Ltd (TDPL), while also announcing investigations into recruitment-related irregularities and a committee for examination reforms.
Mahato called the decision a “massive attack on corruption”, but students have not completely closed the chapter: some continue to demand a CBI probe. At the same time, candidates who had cleared JSSC-CGL and secured government jobs have begun protesting the cancellation, arguing that they should not be punished for alleged wrongdoing they did not commit.
Students Celebrate After 24-Day Agitation
The ‘Aabhaar Yatra’ marked a dramatic change in the mood of a student movement that had spent weeks demanding action against alleged irregularities in Jharkhand’s recruitment examinations. Students carried the national flag, raised slogans and celebrated as they marched through Ranchi, with Mahato joining the procession after ending his hunger strike following the government’s decision.
He described the outcome as a major victory and said it represented a “massive attack on corruption”, while also stressing that a trustworthy examination system must guarantee fairness to candidates. The government’s decision came after prolonged negotiations in which the cancellation of JSSC-CGL had remained one of the key unresolved demands.
Earlier, the administration had agreed to cancel the 14th JPSC Preliminary Examination and backlog examinations, along with investigations into alleged financial and criminal irregularities, but had initially refused to cancel JSSC-CGL or order a CBI investigation. Students subsequently continued their agitation, with Mahato undertaking a prolonged hunger strike.
The government eventually announced that the entire JSSC-CGL process would be scrapped, along with examinations, results and selections connected to TDPL. Chief Minister Hemant Soren said investigations by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and CID had brought “shocking facts” to light, although he said all details could not yet be disclosed because the investigation was continuing.
Alleged Irregularities Fuelled Student Anger
The agitation grew from concerns over the integrity of recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), particularly the JSSC-CGL examination.
The controversy has a longer history: the CGL examination had previously faced allegations of question-paper leakage, with the examination process becoming the subject of legal and investigative scrutiny.
A recent media report citing a CID report said around 120 of 150 questions were allegedly leaked and circulated through WhatsApp before the 2024 examination, a claim that became an important part of the renewed student campaign.
During the protests, students demanded not only cancellation of disputed examinations but also structural reforms and an independent CBI investigation. On August 10, police used water cannons when protesters marching towards the state Assembly crossed barricades, while several students were on hunger strike.
The government subsequently widened its response, announcing cancellation of TDPL-linked examinations and a review of recruitment irregularities dating back to 2014. Reports say 22 recruitment examinations have been cancelled, while investigations have been ordered into several others, including examinations conducted in earlier years.
A committee headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal has also been announced to recommend reforms to the recruitment examination system. However, the government’s decision has created a fresh dilemma: candidates who had successfully cleared JSSC-CGL and were appointed to government posts are now protesting against the cancellation.
On August 19, some affected candidates broke through barricades and entered the Secretariat premises, saying their jobs should not be taken away because of alleged irregularities for which they were not responsible.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The Ranchi students’ movement highlights something fundamental about competitive examinations: for thousands of young people, a government recruitment test represents years of preparation, financial sacrifice and the hope of a stable future. When allegations of leaks or manipulation arise, that trust is damaged not only for those who may have been denied a fair opportunity, but also for candidates who genuinely cleared an examination and may now face uncertainty over their careers.
The government’s decision to cancel the JSSC-CGL and initiate wider investigations is therefore an important step, but cancellation should be followed by transparent investigations, accountability based on evidence and a clear, humane solution for candidates caught in the middle. Students demanding fairness deserve to be heard, while successful candidates deserve due process rather than being treated as guilty by association.
