Prominent student leader Devendra Nath Mahto ended his 16-day hunger strike at Sadar Hospital in Ranchi late Monday night. His decision followed a historic move by Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s government. The government canceled the contentious JSSC-CGL examination and all recruitment tests conducted by private agency TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL).
State Ministers Irfan Ansari and Dipika Pandey Singh visited the hospital and offered juice to Mahto. They did so alongside fellow hunger strikers Umme Habiba and Rahul Kranti, to formally break their fast. Medical checks confirmed that all three protesters are in stable condition.
Cabinet Accord and Sweeping Recruitment Exam Cancellations
The state government’s decision came after an emergency Cabinet meeting. The meeting was called by Chief Minister Hemant Soren to address the month-long agitation over alleged paper leaks and systemic irregularities.
The government completely scrapped the JSSC-CGL examination, all recruitment processes handled by TDPL since 2014, and their published results.
Minister Dipika Pandey Singh confirmed that the state will also cancel the 14th JPSC preliminary exams. Additionally, the state will write to the Enforcement Directorate to track financial misappropriation.
Meanwhile, an ongoing CID probe has already resulted in 20 arrests, including high-profile former officials.
Protesters Demand Institutional Reforms and Permanent Oversight
Terming the decision a major victory for youth power, Devendra Nath Mahto thanked Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. He thanked them for listening to student grievances.
However, Mahto clarified that suspending the hunger strike does not mean ending the movement for systemic reform.
He urged the state assembly to enact strict legislative frameworks that mandate multi-level audits and transparent answer key releases. He also called for strict accountability to prevent future paper leaks.
The state government has opened a public portal for students, teachers, and parents to submit suggestions for upcoming recruitment reforms.
Curated news reports, in-depth analysis, and special features by India’s Opinion editorial team.
