From Viral Screenshots to Assembly Marches: The Jharkhand Student Movement

The student-led protest in Jharkhand officially started on July 29, 2026, in Ranchi. Students demanded a complete overhaul of state recruitment, the cancellation of flawed exams managed by JPSC and JSSC, and a federal CBI investigation into paper leaks and exam corruption. Students launched peaceful sit-ins, city marches, and an indefinite hunger strike led by student leader Devendra Nath Mahto.

What Triggered This Protest:

An Image of a Viral Answer Sheet: An image of an answer sheet circulated online, showing a candidate who qualified for the next stage despite attempting very few questions.

Anger intensified after it was revealed that just 103 government posts had wide-scale qualifications issues, and a testing contract was awarded to a private firm that was previously blacklisted for discrepancies.

The Assembly March:

Protests started in late July, but on August 10, they escalated as thousands of aspirants marched towards the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) in Ranchi.

There was heavy police intervention—police used tear gas shells, water cannons, and a baton charge to stop the crowd. Thousands of protesters breached multiple layers of barbed-wire barricades and pushed close to the Assembly premises.

Due to this, the monsoon session of the State Assembly was abruptly adjourned on Monday, and on Tuesday too, proceedings faced severe disruptions as students held a sit-in protest, refusing to leave until the government agreed to a federal CBI probe.

Current Status:

As of now, the protest is still ongoing, as the government has not yet provided any clear assurance regarding a CBI investigation into the matter.