Ranchi, Aug 18 (IANS) Following the conclusion of his hunger strike after the Jharkhand government announced the cancellation of all examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) and TDPL, student leader Devendra Nath Mahto said that the protesters will now seek the implementation of a law that guarantees leak-proof examinations as the “second stage of the agitation”.
He emphasised that the movement’s objective is not merely to get specific exams cancelled but to transform Jharkhand’s entire recruitment and examination system into one that is transparent and free from corruption.
Speaking to IANS, Mahto said: “The CGL examination that was cancelled yesterday had also been cancelled on January 28, 2024, due to a paper leak. The paper leak took place even during the re-examination, due to which the exam was again cancelled. So, the 14 exams which have now been cancelled, what is the guarantee that paper leaks won’t happen again?”
He stated that the government accepting their demand of taking action over exam irregularities marks the success of only the first stage of their agitation.
“We would thank the government, students and all our supporters for this,” he added while claiming that probes by various agencies over exam irregularities have been taking place “even since the formation of Jharkhand but students have not received justice yet”.
“We want recruitment examinations which are secure from any kind of paper leaks. Government must now guarantee a system that leaves no room for future paper leaks, issues in question paper setting, or any form of malpractice during examinations. We should be assured that those indulging in such acts will be given the harshest punishment and a law should be passed by the state Assembly in this regard. If required, the Constitution may be amended to achieve this objective. This is the second stage of our fight,” Mahto said.
He asserted that if such a law comes into effect, it would benefit the coming generations as well.
Earlier, after ending his hunger strike, Mahto had said: “Today, on the 16th day of our hunger strike, we ended our fast in a dignified manner. With the joint initiative of Jharkhand Health Minister Irfan Ansari, Minister Deepika Pandey and our MLA Jairam Mahto, we decided to suspend our hunger strike. All the demands for which we had been protesting constitutionally and peacefully have been fulfilled…”
The decision to cancel all examinations conducted by JSSC-CGL and TDPL was taken at a special Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday.
The announcement triggered celebrations among students protesting at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium. Despite heavy rain, protesters embraced each other, distributed sweets, raised slogans, and celebrated with colours and fireworks. They described the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination as a major victory after 24 days of agitation.
–IANS
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