Union Minister Sanjay Seth urged Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren to talk to protesting JPSC-JSSC aspirants demanding a CBI probe into exam irregularities. Talks were held between a student delegation and state ministers amid the ongoing protests in Ranchi.
Union Minister Sanjay Seth on Sunday criticised the Jharkhand government over the ongoing protest by Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) job aspirants in Ranchi, urging Chief Minister Hemant Soren to hold talks with the protesting students and address their concerns. Seth said the state government should have intervened earlier and taken steps to resolve the issue. He said the students have been demanding an investigation by central agencies and cancellation of the JPSC-JSSC examinations.
Speaking to reporters, he said, “For the past 16 days, students in Jharkhand have been protesting, and in these 16 days, the government should have taken steps. Chief Minister Hemant Soren should have called the students and talked to them. The students’ demand is that there should be a CBI, ED investigation, and the JPSC-JSCC exam should be cancelled. The Chief Minister should be serious in this matter.”
BJP MP raises concerns
Meanwhile, BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal also raised concerns over alleged irregularities in examinations conducted in Jharkhand and called upon the state government to take action against those responsible. “In Jharkhand, corruption has become the norm in recent years, and there have been irregularities in all examinations. Chief Minister Hemant Soren should take cognisance of the matter and take action against all officials and leaders involved in it,” Jaiswal said.
Govt holds talks with protestors
Earlier in the day, a fresh round of talks was held between the Jharkhand government and the JPSC-JSSC aspirants on Sunday amid protests over irregularities in public service examinations. An eight-member delegation of JPSC-JSSC Reform Manch met with Jharkhand Ministers Dipika Pandey Singh, Sudivya Kumar, Chamra Linda, and Sanjay Yadav at the State Guest House in Ranchi.
JPSC-JSSC Reform Manch said that they hope the conversation leads to concrete steps towards a solution instead of a “post-dated cheque”. The student outfit posted on X, “Today, the second round of talks… We hope this time it’s not just conversation, but concrete steps towards a solution will also emerge. The voice of the students is at the negotiation table–now we will see how seriously the government listens to that voice. We don’t want a Post-Dated Cheque!”
The protests started after the results of the 14th JPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination were announced on July 5, with aspirants alleging irregularities in the recruitment process. Since then, students have been holding round-the-clock protests and an indefinite sit-in, demanding transparency and accountability. The aspirants have also demanded a CBI probe into the irregularities.
After the previous meeting between the two parties, Minister Sonu announced that the state government has released a dedicated Email ID to collect suggestions from students and stakeholders for policy reforms. (ANI)
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