Jharkhand is witnessing a massive student agitation as thousands of students have come out on the streets over recurring paper leaks, lack of accountability, and delayed examinations in the state. The frustration over repeated irregularities, particularly in Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) examinations, has been mounting for a long time.
The current protests were triggered by the JPSC paper leak that happened earlier this year. A total of 11 people have been arrested in the JPSC exam leak, which led to the resignation of JPSC Chairman Lalbiaktluanga (L.) Khiangte. The CID has been questioning him regarding the irregularities in the JPSC exam.
#WATCH | Ranchi, Jharkhand: Students are staging a protest over alleged irregularities and paper leaks in the JPSC, JSSC CGL, and various other competitive exams. pic.twitter.com/iaRn4RVgWD
— ANI (@ANI) July 31, 2026
The current protests started on 25th July in Ranchi and soon spread to around 24 districts in the state. The protesting students have been demanding accountability, transparent recruitment, and major education reforms. The centre of the protest is Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, Ranchi.
On 29th July, the organisers of the protest called for a “Maha Andolan” and urged students to take out a Constitution march from every district of the state to the state capital. Students, to the tune of 5000, responded to the call and peacefully marched through Ranchi carrying copies of the Indian Constitution and the Tricolour in their hands.
The authorities have tightened security across the city and installed barricades at several locations around the protest venue, considering the swelling numbers of protesters.
Frustration over recurring irregularities in examinations
The students in the state have long been facing irregularities in several recruitment examinations. Most of these students come from middle-class and lower-middle-class families for whom a job is not just a source of income but a hope for their and their families’ upliftment/
In the recent past, several examinations in the state, including JSSC CGL, JPSC Combined Civil Services, Excise Constable Recruitment, JAC Class 10 Board Examination, and NEET UG, have suffered irregularities, paper leaks, security concerns, and fraud claims. A major controversy erupted in 2023 when the JSSC CGL examination was held. However, the examination had to be cancelled following a paper leak. The matter reached the High Court, after which a re-examination was conducted. A CID probe was launched into the case.
Similarly, the JAC Class 10 board exam also came under scrutiny after Hindi and science papers went viral on social media. Both papers were later cancelled and rescheduled. Later, a probe was also launched into the NEET UG paper leak. These are only a few of the many examinations that suffered from irregularities. The students who appeared for these examinations have run out of patience and are demanding accountability and reforms.
BJP supports protesting students
The BJP has come out in support of the students holding protests in Jharkhand. Speaking on the issue of paper leaks on Friday (31st July), BJP State President Aditya Prasad Sahu called out the duplicity of the Congress party regarding the student protest in the state. He pointed out that the party actively supported the students’ protest against the Centre but remained tight-lipped on similar protests in the state.
“Ever since the government has been running in Jharkhand with Congress’s support, question papers have been leaked on a large scale prior to various exams, including JPSC and JSSC-CGL. This time too, question papers for the JPSC and JSSC-CGL exams were leaked, yet the government there remains in a deep slumber,” said Sahu.
#WATCH | Delhi | On the alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment exams, BJP State President Aditya Prasad Sahu says, "Ever since the government has been running in Jharkhand with Congress's support, question papers have been leaked on a large scale prior to various exams,… pic.twitter.com/UywejJxlIJ
— ANI (@ANI) July 31, 2026
The State BJP President accused the Congress-backed government in Jharkhand of being complicit in the examination-related scams. “The Congress-backed government is directly complicit in such scams, effectively snatching away employment opportunities from the youth. What is most surprising is that while the Congress party is staging protests in Delhi, the very same Congress members in Jharkhand have remained silent,” he said.
The BJP is demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, saying that his government’s failure to address the repeated irregularities in the examinations has eroded people’s trust in him.
The CJP and the opposition missing in action
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which recently organised massive protests at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi over the NEET paper leak that led to Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as the Education Minister, has been conspicuously missing from the students’ protest in Jharkhand. While members from diverse student organisations, including Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the All India Students’ Association (AISA), and the Adivasi Chhatra Sangh (ACS), have joined the protests, the CJP has remained silent on the issue.
A video from protests in Jharkhand clearly shows the contrast with the CJP protests. In this video, protesters are seen eating plain rice and roti without anything else. They have been eating the same simple food for 3 days while participating in the protests. In comparison, the CJP protest in Jantar Mantar was a food fest, where various organisations and groups had served snacks and meals non-stop. Some people actually visited the protest site to eat freely distributed biryani, pizza and other such food.
एक ओर जंतर-मंतर पर वामपंथी संगठनों, AAP, NSUI और AISA से जुड़े लोग छात्रों का चोला ओढ़कर मोदी विरोध की राजनीति चमका रहे थे।
— Navin Jaiswal (@navinjaiswal4) August 1, 2026
दूसरी ओर, रांची में हमारे छात्र अपने भविष्य और न्याय के लिए तीन रातों से धरने पर डटे हैं। रुखा-सूखा खाकर भी उनका संकल्प अडिग है।
यही असली छात्र आंदोलन है। pic.twitter.com/KEQR4fhZJN
Some groups had set up community kitchens and langars at Jantar Mantar, while others brought home-cooked food. Moreover, people from outside Delhi, even from outside India, delivered food to the protest site using food delivery services. Basically, food was overflowing during CJP protest, while the protesting students in Jharkhand are starving with nothing to eat.
The CJP has been clearly selective in holding demonstrations against the Centre regarding the NEET paper leak but has failed to support the students of Jharkhand, who are protesting over a similar issue. While irregularities in examinations have been a pan-India issue, the CJP, which rode on the students’ outrage over the NEET paper leak and portrayed itself as a students’ party, has completely turned a blind eye to the plight of students in Jharkhand. The opposition parties, which openly supported the CJP protest at the Jantar Mantar, are also conveniently mum about the situation in Jharkhand.
