Rahul urges Soren to meet protesters as Jharkhand exam crisis deepens

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has urged Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren to personally meet students protesting alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations. In a letter dated August 14 but released on August 17 as protests intensified, Gandhi said a personal meeting would reinforce the government's commitment to resolving concerns. The JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch protesters, who have been agitating for 24 days, burnt effigies of Soren, Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on August 16.

On August 17, Soren's government announced the cancellation of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination and all exams conducted by blacklisted agency TDPL after an emergency cabinet meeting. The Hindu reports that a committee under senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal will suggest examination reforms. The Federal notes that this was the seventh round of talks called, with previous rounds failing to yield a breakthrough.

The protesters are demanding a CBI probe and cancellation of the JSSC-CGL exam. The Manch has set an August 18 deadline for their demands, threatening to gherao Soren's residence on August 20. The CID has arrested former JPSC member's personal secretary B.N. Ram and questioned JSSC Secretary Sudhir Gupta. Meanwhile, candidates who cleared the 2025 exam formed a human chain opposing cancellation. BJP leaders met the governor seeking intervention.