After 2nd Round Of Talks With Protesters, Jharkhand Opens Email For Feedback

Protesting students of the JPSC-JSSC Aspirant Nyay Manch, led by student leader Devendra Nath Mahto, on Saturday met the Jharkhand government-appointed panel over the demands of the agitating students.

An eight-member delegation from the group held discussions with government representatives at the State Guest House in Ranchi.

On Friday, another group of 11 students had held talks with the government-appointed panel.

The students have been protesting in Ranchi for the last 15 days over alleged irregularities in examinations for state jobs. The students have demanded the scrapping of the 14th Civil Services Preliminary Examination conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) on July 2.

No Breakthrough, Talks To Continue

While no breakthrough was achieved at the meeting, Jharkhand Minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu said the government team would continue to meet the students. The government has also released an email ID - JPSSC.feedback@gmail.com - for students to send their suggestions and feedback.

"We will continue to meet with various student groups and stakeholders. Additionally, we are releasing an email ID: JPSSC.feedback@gmail.com. Any student, individual, or stakeholder can send suggestions to this address, and we intend to formulate a reform policy and reach a collective decision based on everyone's input. The government will take their concerns into account based on the emails received," the minister said after the meeting.

The student delegation also said the government had assured them of a quick decision to resolve the issues raised, but maintained that their agitation would continue until their demands were met.

Minister Dipika Pandey Singh also said the aspirants had explained the discrepancies in the recruitment processes in detail at the meeting.

11 member team of protesters met Jharkhand government representatives

Mahto: Agitation To Go On

Speaking about his team's separate meeting with the government, Mahto emphasised that the demands of the aspirants remained unchanged regardless of who was across the negotiation table. Mahto has been on a hunger strike for a week, demanding action over alleged irregularities in job examinations.

"Had the government agreed to our demands when the other students met them, then it wouldn't have been necessary for us to go as well. It doesn't matter how many of us go to meet them. All of us have the same demands, which should be fulfilled," he said.

Protesters' Demands

The protesters at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi have demanded the cancellation of all JSSC CGL, JSSC JE, and PGT examinations held after 2019, a CBI investigation into the irregularities, strict action against the "mafias and agencies involved," disclosure of category-wise cut-offs - UR, EWS, BC-I, BC-II, SC, ST - OMR copies, and response sheets for transparency, and a recruitment calendar modelled on UPSC/SSC standards.

Court Raps Government Over TET Delay

Meanwhile, the Jharkhand High Court has taken a stern view of the repeated delays in conducting the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) in Jharkhand.

The TET has not been held for nearly nine years. The court has issued a show-cause notice to Umashankar Singh, Secretary of the School Education and Literacy Department, asking why contempt charges should not be framed against him for failing to comply with the court's order to conduct the exam.

During the previous hearing, Singh had assured the court that the TET would be conducted within three months. But even after the deadline expired, JTET was not conducted. The High Court has now sought a clear explanation from the department as to why the Teachers Eligibility Test has not been conducted despite the court's directions and the assurance given by the Secretary.