Jharkhand protest: Mahto hails ‘historic win’; three protesters still on hunger strike as demand for CBI probe continues

Three of the six protesters — Rahul Kranti, Sabita Kumari and Rupesh Pal — continue their hunger strike as the agitation against the alleged job exam irregularities in Jharkhand enters its 25th day on Tuesday (August 18, 2026), even after Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced the cancellation of all recruitment tests, including the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination, conducted by an outsourced agency since 2014.

Jharkhand Loktantrik Kranti Morcha (JLKM) leader Devendra Mahto concluded his 16-day hunger strike around Monday midnight (August 17, 2026), soon after the State administration’s announcement. Two protesters, Prem Nayak and Umme Habiba, also concluded the fast.

Jharkhand protest LIVE updates – August 18, 2026

Mr. Mahto, addressing a press conference on Tuesday (August 18, 2026), welcomed the State government’s decision to cancel the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination, calling it a “historic win” for the students’ movement. “A CBI or CID inquiry cannot give justice to the students. We are demanding a guarantee of a leak-proof examination system and transparency going forward. I have a blueprint to achieve this. It i will share with the government,” he stated.

Protesters may take a call on withdrawing the demonstration, which entered its 25th day on Tuesday, after the State government cancelled all recruitment tests conducted by outsourced agency TSR Data Processing Pvt Ltd (TDPL). “Today, our protest enters its 25th day. We may decide whether we continue or call the agitation off after the government’s announcement,” a protesting student said.

The announcement of the cancellation of exams came after Chief Minister Hemant Soren chaired a marathon Cabinet gathering at the State secretariat. He also stated an exam reforms committee headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal would recommend measures to strengthen the process of recruitment tests.

“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,” Mr. Soren said to journalists after the gathering on Monday.

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

However, the decision failed to end the protest on Monday night (August 18, 2026) as the agitators maintained that their key demand for a CBI probe into alleged examination irregularities had not been accepted. Rahul Kranti, one of the protesters undergoing treatment at Sadar Hospital, said the agitation would continue unless the administration accepted the demand for a CBI probe.

Activist Sonam Wangchuk congratulated Mr. Mahto over a video call, describing the government’s decision as a “victory for everyone”. “It seems that this victory is one in which no one loses. As they also intend to do good, you have won, and the government has won too. So, this is a victory where the other side does not have to face defeat. It is a victory for everyone — a victory for India, for the people, and for Jharkhand,” he stated.

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren on Tuesday congratulated the students for “clinching victory through struggle in the first phase of the movement”. “Heartiest congratulations to all of you on the victory through struggle in the first phase of this movement, and best wishes for a bright future,” he said in an official note.

The BJP legislator hailed the students for their demonstration, despite baton charges and a lack of basic facilities at the protest site.

The agitators had announced aims to gherao the Chief Minister’s residence on August 20 and appealed to students from across the State to assemble in Ranchi.

They had also sought the CM’s resignation and accused the ruling JMM-Congress alliance of failing to take concrete action on their demands.

Exam cancellation sparks counter-protest

The cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination, however, triggered a counter-protest by those who had cleared the examination and secured administration jobs.

A group of successful candidates gathered outside the State secretariat on Tuesday (August 18, 2026) and appealed to CM Soren not to cancel the examination, claiming that the move would render around 2,000 people jobless.

The opposition BJP backed the protesting students’ demand for a CBI probe.

Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi urged the CM to accept the students’ demands and questioned why the administration should fear a CBI probe if it was confident about the recruitment process.

Mr. Marandi said continued administration inaction could push more youth and students onto the streets and extended moral support to the proposed August 20 demonstration.

With the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL and TDPL-conducted examinations, the government has accepted one of the agitation’s most prominent demands. The government, meanwhile, asserted that it is prepared to overhaul the examination system through the new reforms committee and stricter enforcement of the anti-unfair-means law.

Meanwhile, the CID continued raids to nab culprits involved in exam irregularities.

“We are conducting raids at the JSSC office in connection with alleged irregularities in various examinations,” CID ADG Manoj Kaushik said.

With inputs from PTI, ANI