RANCHI: By day, they raise slogans seeking a fair recruitment system. At night, they spread mats and tarpaulin sheets on the ground and try to sleep through mosquito bites and unpredictable weather. For hundreds of Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) aspirants, Ranchi’s Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium has become a makeshift home since their agitation began on July 25. The candidates, who have arrived from across the state, are demanding reforms in the two commissions, greater transparency and accountability, and an end to alleged irregularities in examinations. They said the protest would continue until the state govt offered a concrete response to their concerns. “We should be in study rooms and libraries, preparing for exams and building our future. Instead, repeated irregularities in exams conducted by the commissions have forced us on to the streets,” said protester Prashant Kumar Mishra. Mishra, who has been preparing for the civil services for four years, said spending nights in the open was difficult but the aspirants were prepared for a prolonged agitation. “We are battling mosquitoes and other hardships, but we will not leave without a concrete solution from the govt,” he said. The protesters claimed they had yet to receive a response from the govt. Support, however, has been arriving from people outside the state, many of whom are unknown to the candidates. Food, drinking water and other essentials have helped sustain the makeshift camp. Saurav Kumar Singh, a food delivery executive, said he delivered pizzas to the protesters after receiving an order from a man in Delhi. The agitation witnessed a split on July 29 amid allegations that some people with political affiliations were attempting to use the protest for mileage. Despite the division, both groups have continued their demonstrations, centred on the demand for a transparent recruitment system. “We do not want anyone to politicise the issue for personal gain,” said Ranjit Kumar, an aspirant from Chatra. “We want a transparent system so that deserving candidates can secure govt jobs.” The protesters have also sought a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities connected with the 14th JPSC civil services examination.
