Ranchi’s Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium has become the centre of a growing student protest over alleged irregularities in Jharkhand’s government recruitment examinations.
At the centre of the agitation is 33-year-old Devendra Nath Mahto, a student leader from Jharkhand who began an indefinite hunger strike on August 2.
The wider student protest entered its 17th day on Monday, August 10, as students marched towards the Jharkhand Assembly for a planned ‘Vidhan Sabha Gherao’.
The protesters are demanding greater transparency in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), along with action over what they allege are irregularities in the examination process.
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Who is Devendra Nath Mahto?
Mahto, 33, is a student leader from Jharkhand who has been involved in student activism for several years.
According to his 2024 election affidavit, Mahto completed his postgraduate education at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University (DSPMU), Ranchi, between 2018 and 2020. News18 has reported that he holds postgraduate degrees in Sanskrit and Kurmali, along with a B.Ed. from Hazaribagh.
He has also been active in electoral politics.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Mahto contested the Ranchi seat as an Independent candidate.
Later that year, he contested the Silli Assembly constituency on a Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) ticket.
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His history of student protests
The current agitation is not Mahto’s first confrontation with authorities over recruitment examinations.
In December 2024, he was among student protesters detained during demonstrations over alleged irregularities linked to the JSSC Combined Graduate Level examination.
Police used a lathi-charge to disperse protesters during the demonstration, following which Mahto was detained.
The incident added to his profile as a prominent face of Jharkhand’s student movements.
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How did the current protest begin?
The present agitation centres on allegations concerning recruitment examinations conducted by the JPSC and JSSC.
According to Mahto and other protesting students, the movement gained momentum following the declaration of the results of the 14th JPSC Preliminary Test.
Students subsequently held demonstrations and sought meetings with state authorities, including Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
The protest later moved to Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi.
On August 2, Mahto began his indefinite hunger strike, saying he would continue until the students’ demands were addressed.
The hunger strike is separate from the wider protest timeline: while the agitation entered its 17th day on August 10, Mahto was on the 15th day of his fast on August 9.
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What is Mahto demanding?
The protesters, under the banner of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, have raised several demands.
These include the cancellation of examinations they allege were affected by irregularities, an independent investigation, greater transparency in the recruitment process and action against those found responsible if wrongdoing is established.
One of the most contentious demands is a CBI investigation into the alleged irregularities.
Students have also sought category-wise cut-offs, OMR sheets and response sheets, as well as a more predictable recruitment calendar.
These remain demands and allegations made by the protesting students, rather than established findings of wrongdoing.
What has the Jharkhand government offered?
The government and student representatives have held several rounds of discussions, but the talks have so far failed to end the standoff.
The state has agreed to cancel three JPSC examinations, according to current reporting.
However, the government has rejected the demand to cancel the JSSC Combined Graduate Level examination.
The students have continued to demand wider action, particularly a central investigation into the alleged irregularities.
The government has also maintained that it has addressed a large majority of the protesters’ demands.
Student leaders have disputed that claim, saying key demands remain unresolved.
Why is the Assembly march important?
Monday’s march marks an escalation in the student movement.
Authorities imposed prohibitory restrictions within a 750-metre radius of the Jharkhand Assembly and stepped up security around the area. Barbed-wire barricades were also placed along routes leading towards the Assembly.
Schools in Ranchi were ordered to remain closed amid the march.
The administration has urged protesters to maintain peace as the march takes place.
For the students, however, the Assembly march is an attempt to take their demands directly to the state’s political centre.
Mahto’s health has become another flashpoint
Mahto’s hunger strike has also drawn attention because of his deteriorating health.
Social activist Sonam Wangchuk spoke to him over a video call and urged him to drink water.
Mahto subsequently agreed to take water while continuing to refuse food. He maintained that drinking water did not mean he had withdrawn his hunger strike.
On August 9, reports said Mahto was experiencing significant weakness, dehydration and low blood sugar and blood pressure after 15 days without food.
Another protester, Rahul Kranti, was also reportedly hospitalised after his condition worsened.
The health of the protesters has added urgency to the standoff, even as negotiations between student representatives and the government continue.
What is the investigation into the alleged irregularities?
The controversy has also led to an investigation into allegations surrounding JPSC examinations.
The Jharkhand CID has questioned former JPSC chairperson L Khiangte as part of its investigation.
The students, however, have continued to demand a CBI probe, arguing that a central investigation would be more independent.
The government and protesters therefore remain divided over not just the examinations themselves, but also the mechanism through which the allegations should be investigated.
A protest bigger than one person
While Mahto has become the most visible face of the movement, he is not the only person leading it.
Student representatives have been holding negotiations with the government, while Mahto has continued his fast at the protest site.
The movement is ultimately about the students’ broader concerns over recruitment examinations, transparency and accountability.
Mahto’s hunger strike has given those concerns a highly visible face. But the demands extend well beyond one individual.
As students moved towards the Jharkhand Assembly on August 10, the central question remained whether the government and protesters could find a way out of the standoff through further negotiations.
TL;DR | News At A Glance
Who: Devendra Nath Mahto, a 33-year-old Jharkhand student leader.
Where: The protest is centred at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi.
What: Students allege irregularities in Jharkhand’s JPSC and JSSC recruitment exams.
Hunger Strike: Mahto began an indefinite fast on August 2.
Latest: Students marched towards the Jharkhand Assembly on August 10.
Demands: Exam cancellations, greater transparency and an independent probe.
Government: The state says most demands have been addressed; students reject the claim.
