By Agniva Ray
THE STUDENT PROTESTS IN JHARKHAND have reached another milestone with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) launching an investigation into the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the multiple recruitment examinations in Jharkhand, with a special focus on the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level examination (JSSC-CGL). The central agency officially announced this decision on August 9, 2026, and is set to begin a probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The entire country had witnessed the student protests in Delhi surrounding the issues of NEET paper leaks and other issues of accountability for the past two months. This time, that spark has ignited unrest that continues to grow in Jharkhand.
Students in Jharkhand have been protesting in Ranchi, demanding the cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) examination and an investigation into the alleged irregularities in the recruitment process. The results of the 14th JPSC Civil Services Preliminary exam were announced on July 5, 2026, followed by serious allegations of irregularities in the examination and selection process. After the results were declared, the students, aspirants and other members of the civil society began their indefinite sit-in demonstrations at the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi on July 29, 2026.
What began as a criticism of the alleged irregularities of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission examination and recruitment soon snowballed into a protest that included the allegations related to other examinations in the state, such as the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level examination (JSSC-CGL).
On August 2, 2026, Devendra Nath Mahto—the student leader of the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha—sat on an indefinite hunger strike. Since then, five more demonstrators joined, bringing the total to six fasting protesters.
The JPSC Students’ movement which began a few days after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests has now turned into a discourse of government accountability and transparency in the examination processes.
The protesting students were demanding the cancellation of the 14th JPSC combined preliminary examination held on April 19, 2026, and also an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation. They also argued that the alleged irregularities should also be investigated independently by the Enforcement Directorate and other central agencies.
Amid these developments, the Chief Minister of Jharkhand had publicly stated that the government’s doors were open and promised that a ‘concrete solution’ would emerge soon. Initially, the government did not agree to cancel the examinations. But on August 9, 2026, the Jharkhand government finally agreed to cancel three examinations including the preliminary examination of the 14th JPSC Combined Civil Services, after a six-hour-long-meeting with the delegates of the student groups. However, the protesting students expressed their dissatisfaction over the cancellation of only three out of the thirteen exams demanded, reported news agency Times of India.
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Meanwhile, amid the massive protests, three members of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission—Ajeeta Bhattacharya, Anima Hansda, and Jamal Ahmed—resigned on Sunday, August 9, 2026, after they were summoned by the ongoing Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Faced with severe opposition, the government had also finally agreed to involve the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for probing into the alleged financial irregularities in the 14th JPSC exam.
As of now, the ED has registered a money laundering case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in light of the alleged financial irregularities in the JPSC examinations. The case was filed based on an FIR by the state CID, and seeks to investigate the probable cases of money laundering and selling of jobs. These developments have thus put the Jharkhand government in the line of fire of the central probing agency.
Meanwhile, the protesting aspirants of the JPSC-JSSC had also called for a ‘Vidhan Sabha gherao’ (Assembly march) in Ranchi on August 10, 2026. The demonstrators began their march with the tricolor and placards in their hands, but were soon met with water cannons as they reached the final barricade near Jagannathpur Temple. While speaking to The Hindu, JKLM leader Devendra Nath Mahto—who has been fasting for the past nine days—said that “if we cannot reach the assembly, our voices must reach them” and also criticized the government and the CID for not conducting a raid on JSSC.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has already registered an investigation with the state government extending its cooperation. The government has also agreed to cancel the 14th JPSC examination, as well as the ‘Backlog 23’ and ‘Backlog 25’ examinations that were scheduled alongside. However, the Jharkhand government has informed publicly that the JSSC-CGL examination was conducted under the monitoring of the Supreme Court and the High Court, and hence could not accept the demand for a CBI investigation into the said examination. Instead, it has suggested the formation of an expert panel comprising representatives from ISM Dhanbad, IIM Ranchi, XLRI Jamshedpur to recommend examination reforms. However, the protesters have continued to stick to their demand for a CBI probe, and thereby initiated the call for the ‘Vidhan Sabha’ march on August 10, 2026.
As the demonstrations turn intense, along with protesters sitting on an indefinite fast, it is crucial for us to note how things unfold in the coming days. What remains to be seen is whether the gap between government policy and public-service delivery can be bridged, and how.
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