Student leader Devendra Nath Mahato called off his indefinite hunger strike following the Jharkhand government’s announcement to cancel the JSSC Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination, along with all other exams and recruitment processes handled by TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL).
A section of the protesting students, however, continued to insist on a CBI investigation into the cancelled examinations. Responding to the government’s move, Mahato said that laws should be framed to prevent students from being cheated or defrauded.
“Such a law should be made in the House so that no student is cheated or deceived. The government should guarantee this,” Mahato said.
He expressed gratitude to the students, parents, media, police, the Jharkhand government, and Chief Minister Hemant Soren for their support during the agitation.
Mahato said, “We express our gratitude for taking the students’ issues seriously and fulfilling our demands; most importantly, the investigation is being conducted meticulously, and every corrupt individual involved is being apprehended. They are making a concerted effort to reach the true kingpins behind these gangs.”
“Today, on the 16th day of our hunger strike, we have ended our fast in a very dignified manner,” Mahato said, crediting Jharkhand Health Minister Irfan Ansari, Minister Dipika Pandey and MLA Jairam Mahato for their “joint initiative” in resolving the issues.
‘We will continue to struggle for further reforms’: Mahato
He added that the demands for which they had been protesting in a constitutional and peaceful manner had been fulfilled, leading them to call off the agitation.
He nevertheless emphasized that the larger campaign for reforms would continue. “We will continue to struggle for further reforms,” he stated, while expressing gratitude to the Jharkhand government, Chief Minister Hemant Soren, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for the decision.
Mahato noted that the government’s action was especially significant because the appointment and joining processes for the CGL examination had already been completed, even as students had put forward conflicting claims regarding their cases.
CBI probe pending
Student leaders in Jharkhand said that their demand for a CBI investigation into the cancelled JSSC-CGL and TDPL examinations remains unresolved, even after the government decided to cancel the exams.
Student leader Piyush Kumar said the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination and all examinations conducted on behalf of TDPL was only the “first step”, adding that students’ other demands, including a CBI probe, were still pending.
He further said, “Our demands have not yet been fully met; this is merely the first step and the first celebration–there is more to come. The struggle will continue; we aren’t going anywhere. The CBI investigation is still pending, and the ’11 to 13′ decision remains to be overturned.”
CM Soren announced cancellation of exam
Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced on Monday that all examinations conducted by TDPL, along with the results declared by the agency, would be cancelled.
He further stated that all examinations held through TDPL since 2014 would be probed by the Crime Investigation Department (CID).
The announcement was made against the backdrop of a large-scale student protest at Ranchi’s Jaipal Singh Munda Ground, sparked by alleged irregularities and paper-leak claims related to the JSSC-CGL and other recruitment examinations.
Bureau Report
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