Jharkhand Protest: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday announced that the state's government is ready to cancel the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) Preliminary examination and the backlog examinations. The chief minister announced that examinations linked to TDPL, a Lucknow-based IT vendor responsible for conducting JPSC exams, will be investigated. Additionally, experts from premier institutions such as the IITs and IIMs will be consulted to reform the recruitment examination system.
Meanwhile, the students' agitation in Jharkhand against the alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC recruitment examinations continued for the 19th day on Tuesday. According to reports, following the police action and baton charge during the assembly march on Monday, protesters regrouped late at night at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium and resumed their sit-in.
According to a report by the Indo-Asian News Services (IANS), the assembly witnessed continuous sloganeering and protests by opposition members throughout the chief minister's speech. However, Soren asserted that the government had already taken a decision on the examination-related issues and would continue to move forward with its plans regardless of opposition protests.
Addressing TDPL, the agency that conducted the examinations, Soren said the company was based in Uttar Pradesh and had links with Bihar. He alleged that such agencies had been allowed to compromise the future of Jharkhand's youth, as per the report.
According to IANS, the chief minister reiterated that the government will not hesitate to order investigations into examinations that had attracted complaints, allegations, and suspicions. He further said the government was committed to making the recruitment process more transparent, credible and secure.
Referring to Monday's assembly march by students, Soren said that the administration and police had acted with restraint during the protest. He noted that security restrictions are routinely enforced around constitutional institutions such as the Assembly, Parliament, and Legislative Councils, yet demonstrators managed to reach close to the assembly premises.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had called for a statewide Jharkhand bandh in protest against the lathi-charge and other police action against students during the demonstration in Ranchi.