'Right way': Rahul Gandhi lauds 'understanding' between Jharkhand govt, protesting students

Key points

• While three others – Rahul Kranti, Sabita Kumari and Rupesh Pal – continued their fast, two protesters, Prem Nayak and…
• “The government has decided to cancel the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) exam.
• “Chief Minister Hemant Soren ji and the Jharkhand government chose the path of dialogue and arrived at a solution.
• The announcement came after Soren chaired a marathon Cabinet meeting at the state secretariat on Monday.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday praised the “understanding” reached between protesting students and the Jharkhand government, calling it the “right way” as Chief Minister Hemant Soren chose dialogue while the students exercised restraint and secured their demands accepted.

Gandhi also vowed to change the system nationwide to establish a framework that propels students forward rather than holds them back.

“An understanding has been reached between the students of Jharkhand and the state government, and the students have ended their hunger strike – it was heartening to hear this news,” Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.

“Chief Minister Hemant Soren ji and the Jharkhand government chose the path of dialogue and arrived at a solution. The students exercised restraint and made their demands accepted,” the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha stated.

What happened

This is the right way – when students raise questions, they should get answers, he stated.

“We stand with every student in the country. And we will uproot and transform this recovery system, so that every student gets the full reward of their hard work and the right to fair competition,” Gandhi said.

This system will change nationwide, and a framework will be established that propels students forward, rather than holding them back, the former Congress chief said.

Gandhi had written to Soren, urging him to personally meet representatives of the protesting students and take appropriate action to resolve the issue.

The details

While asserting that the youth of India was its future and that “we owe them our solidarity and support at this moment of crisis”, he had said the students’ protest was peaceful and their demands legitimate.

The Congress is part of the ruling JMM-led government in Jharkhand.

झारखंड के छात्रों और राज्य सरकार के बीच सहमति बनी, और छात्रों ने अपनी भूख हड़ताल समाप्त की – यह ख़बर सुनकर बहुत खुशी हुई।

मुख्यमंत्री हेमंत सोरेन जी और झारखंड सरकार ने बातचीत का रास्ता चुना, और समाधान निकाला। छात्रों ने संयम रखा, और अपनी बात मनवाई।

यही सही तरीक़ा है – छात्र…

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 18, 2026

Students protesting against alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment examinations may take a call on withdrawing their demonstration on Tuesday after the state government cancelled all recruitment tests, including the JSSC-CGL exam, conducted by an outsourced agency since 2014.

Why it matters

He also stated an exam reforms committee headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal would recommend measures to strengthen the recruitment examination process.

“The government has decided to cancel the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) exam. It was one of the major demands of the protesting students. We have also decided to cancel all tests conducted by outsourced agency TSR Data Processing Pvt Ltd (TDPL) and the results published by it,” Soren had stated to journalists after the meeting.

Student leader Devendra Mahto. This person had been on hunger strike for 16 days over the alleged exam irregularities, ended his fast around midnight on Monday.

While three others – Rahul Kranti, Sabita Kumari and Rupesh Pal – continued their fast, two protesters, Prem Nayak and Umme Habiba, also called off their hunger strike.

Background

Students were seen celebrating and waving the Tricolour after the announcement.

Activist Sonam Wangchuk congratulated Mahto over a video call, describing the government’s decision as a “victory for everyone”.

(With inputs from PTI)