NEW DELHI: Students protesting alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations in Jharkhand have agreed in principle to hold talks with the state government, provided the discussions take place in the presence of the media. The development came even as the Crime Investigation Department (CID) arrested five more people in connection with the alleged recruitment scam, taking the investigation forward.Student leader Radhe Kumar said a five-member core committee would attend the meeting with government representatives. “Five members of our core team will attend the meeting. We will present our demands to the government through the SDO, who will convey them to the appropriate authorities. Once the government responds to our demands, we will decide our next course of action,” he said.
Here are the top developments:
Students agree to talks, but seek public meeting
Student leaders said they were prepared to send a four- or five-member delegation for discussions after receiving a message from the government through the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO). However, they insisted that the talks should be transparent.“We also had another demand: if the chief minister comes out to speak with us publicly in front of live media on an open platform, a proper resolution could be reached. In our previous protest, our representatives were taken into a closed room, and nothing came out of it. They are calling a five-member team just to stall and suppress our movement,” one protester alleged.Another protester echoed the demand, saying, “The chief minister should listen to the students’ demands in front of the press and media, and whatever promises he intends to fulfil should be stated publicly. For the last 26 years in Jharkhand, students’ issues have been heard in closed rooms, and the files have remained closed forever.”Student leader Ravindra Paswan said both sides had shown willingness to engage.“The government has expressed its willingness to engage in dialogue, and we have also conveyed our willingness. Dialogue is essential in a democratic country as it is the only way to reach a resolution,” Paswan said.He added that the students had placed two conditions before the government.“Our primary condition is that the dialogue should take place directly with the chief minister, and we have been assured that the chief minister will be present. Secondly, we want at least two media representatives to be present during the discussions. The SDO has asked us to submit the names of our delegation members before 10 am, after which the date and time of the meeting will be communicated,” he said.
Government says doors are open
The state government has repeatedly stressed its willingness to engage with the protesters.Jharkhand minister Irfan Ansari said, “The chief minister has constituted the committee… We have opened the door for dialogue. Talks will take place, we will listen to your demands, and if they are reasonable, we will certainly accept them. They are our students, our children.” He also accused the BJP of trying to politicise the issue.Rural development minister Deepika Pandey Singh said a committee had been formed and students had been asked to nominate their representatives so discussions could begin.However, Finance Minister Radhakrishna Kishore clarified that the ministers’ group was only monitoring the agitation and was not a formal negotiation committee. He said the chief minister remained sensitive to the students’ concerns and that the government was ready for talks whenever the students decided to engage.Earlier this week, chief minister Hemant Soren also said the government was open to dialogue and assured students that their demands would be considered seriously.“…Many individuals have already been arrested and sent to jail, and investigative agencies are conducting raids at multiple locations. Overall, the agencies are working diligently and effectively on this matter, and I believe we will move forward towards a concrete resolution…” he said.“The government’s doors are open to everyone. Anyone who has demands can come forward and present their concerns. We are already aware of the issues to some extent, and if they present their views, the government will certainly consider them seriously,” he added.
Probe gathers pace as arrests rise
The CID’s latest action saw five more arrests in connection with the alleged examination irregularities, taking the total number of arrests to 19.The investigation is being led by an SIT, which is examining digital records, application logs and other evidence to establish the extent of the alleged recruitment irregularities.
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On August 5, Soren also met Governor Santosh Gangwar and briefed him on the alleged irregularities in the JPSC and JSSC examinations as well as the ongoing protests. The Governor described the allegations as a serious matter and stressed the need for a transparent examination process to maintain the confidence of young job aspirants.According to an official release, Soren assured the Governor that the state government was committed to ensuring justice for students and that no injustice would be allowed.The protests began after the results of the 14th JPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination were declared on July 5. Aspirants have since been staging round-the-clock demonstrations and an indefinite sit-in, demanding cancellation of the preliminary examination and a review of recruitment tests conducted through TDPL agencies.
