Archive · 11 Aug 2026
Jharkhand Police Lathicharge Exam Aspirants During Ranchi Assembly Protest
Young people in Ranchi were upset because they believed the tests for government jobs were not fair.
They have been protesting for 17 days, and some have stopped eating for nine days to show how serious they are.
On Monday, they marched in a big group to the building where leaders work and pushed past barriers.
Police used sticks, water cannons, and tear gas to make the crowd move back.
The students said the police hurt more than a hundred young people without giving any warning first.
The police said four of their own officers were also hurt when students threw stones.
The leader of the state, Hemant Soren, said he heard the students and promised to make the exam system better and fairer.
He also thanked the police for how they handled the protest.
Someone from the BJP, a different political party, said the government does not listen to people who disagree with it.
Everyone agrees that exams for jobs should be honest and fair for all students.
Police lathi-charged and used water cannons and tear gas on JPSC-JSSC aspirants who breached multiple barricades and staged a sit-in near Gate No 1 of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly in Ranchi.
Injured protester Shivam alleged at least a hundred young people were hit without warning, while officials said four policemen were injured in stone pelting by demonstrators.
The march began around 10:30 am on the 17th day of the agitation, coinciding with Chief Minister Hemant Soren's 51st birthday; hunger-striking JLKM student leader Devendra Nath Mahto joined it in an ambulance carrying a portrait of former chief minister Shibu Soren.
Protesters demand cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, and comprehensive reforms in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
CM Hemant Soren thanked police for acting with 'restraint' and assured demands would be addressed, while Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary Amar Kumar Bauri called the government 'dictatorial' for keeping him waiting 11 hours.
- Who
- JPSC and JSSC exam aspirants, Jharkhand Police, Chief Minister Hemant Soren, and BJP state general secretary Amar Kumar Bauri
- What
- Police used lathis, water cannons and tear gas on aspirants during a 'Vidhan Sabha gherao' march protesting alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC-CGL examinations
- When
- Monday, the 17th day of the agitation, coinciding with Chief Minister Hemant Soren's 51st birthday
- Where
- Ranchi, near the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha)
- Why
- Protesters want cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination, a CBI probe into alleged irregularities, and reforms in the recruitment process
Protesters and Opposition
State Government and Police
Police action during the march
Protesters and Opposition
Police launched a sudden lathicharge without warning or any exchange of words, injuring at least a hundred peaceful protesters on their chests, backs, arms, heads and faces, including women protesters.
State Government and Police
Officials handled the crowd with 'restraint, sensitivity, and a deep sense of responsibility' as thanked by the Chief Minister; four policemen were injured during stone pelting by demonstrators.
Government responsiveness to demands
Protesters and Opposition
Demands have not been fully accepted, there was no sign of a government response at the Assembly, and the administration is unwilling to listen to students.
State Government and Police
The government has listened, senior ministers have been in constant dialogue with students, and demands will be addressed with utmost seriousness and sensitivity.
Treatment of dissent
Protesters and Opposition
The government is a 'dictatorial regime' that does not tolerate voices of dissent, keeping opposition members waiting 11 hours outside the Chief Minister's residence; Bauri added that both Rahul Gandhi and Hemant Soren are silent.
State Government and Police
Students have the democratic right to express their views in a democracy, and the government is working to make the examination system transparent, technology-enabled, secure and accountable.
- Location
- Ranchi, near the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha)
- Police action
- Lathi-charge, water cannons and tear gas
- Reported injuries
- At least 100 protesters per protesters; 4 policemen per police
- Demands
- Cancellation of JSSC-CGL exam, CBI probe, JPSC/JSSC recruitment reforms
- Agitation timeline
- 17th day of agitation; hunger strike of 9 days
- Security deployment
- Over 1,500 personnel along a nearly 4-km route; prohibitory orders imposed
- Government response
- CM Soren assured demands would be addressed with seriousness
- Fresh march announced
- Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) announced a march to the Vidhan Sabha on August 11
