Rahul Gandhi asks Hemant Soren to personally meet protesters over Jharkhand exam row

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has urged Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren to personally meet students protesting alleged irregularities in the state’s recruitment examinations, as the agitation in Ranchi entered its 24th day on August 17.

In a letter dated August 14 and released publicly on Monday, Gandhi described the students’ protest as peaceful and their demands as legitimate. He welcomed the Jharkhand government’s decision to engage with the protesters but said a direct meeting with the Chief Minister could help address issues that remain unresolved.

Gandhi said the Congress supports students protesting alleged paper leaks and irregularities in recruitment examinations, and emphasised that the right to peaceful protest is a fundamental pillar of democracy. He said the concerns raised by the aspirants required serious attention from the state government.

“I believe that there is also agreement on several demands raised by the students. However, the protests continue, and some students remain on an indefinite hunger strike,” Gandhi said in the letter, urging Soren to meet representatives of the protesting students.

Thousands of job aspirants have been staging a sit-in at Jaipal Singh Stadium in Ranchi since July 29 under the leadership of student activist Devendra Nath Mahto.

The protesters have alleged irregularities in the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) Civil Services Examination, the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination and other recruitment tests conducted in the state.

The students have demanded cancellation of the 14th JPSC Civil Services Examination and an independent investigation into the alleged irregularities. They have sought a probe either by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or by a panel of retired High Court judges from outside Jharkhand.

The protesters have also alleged that examination seats were sold to candidates, including those from outside Jharkhand, for amounts ranging from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore. The allegations have raised concerns among aspirants over transparency and fairness in the state’s recruitment process.

The protesting students have maintained that repeated allegations of examination malpractice are affecting deserving candidates and undermining confidence in the recruitment system.