Archive · 18 Aug 2026
Jharkhand Students Vow to Continue Agitation Despite Exam Cancellations
Many students in Jharkhand want government jobs, but they think the exams for those jobs were not fair.
So they held big protests and some went on a hunger strike.
The government, led by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, listened to them.
It cancelled the tests done by a company called TDPL, and it also cancelled the JSSC exams.
The students were happy about that, but they still want more.
They want a special investigation by the CBI, and they want some other exam questions cleared up.
The student leader Piyush Kumar says the protest will keep going until every demand is met.
A retired judge will now look into older exams to check for mistakes.
The students celebrated at a stadium in Ranchi, but they did not stop their hunger strike.
Student leader Piyush Kumar said the agitation over the JSSC-CGL and TDPL-conducted exams will continue until the government meets all demands, including a CBI probe.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced the cancellation of all examinations conducted by TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL), along with published results and candidate selections.
The state Cabinet also decided to cancel the JSSC-CGL examinations and ordered a comprehensive inquiry into alleged irregularities dating back to 2014.
A comprehensive inquiry into the JPSC Civil Services examinations will be conducted under the supervision of a retired judge, while the SIT and CID are already investigating.
Protesters refused to end their hunger strike even after Deepika Ma'am and Dr Irfan Ansari urged them to, saying they will not budge until every demand is met.
- Who
- Student leader Piyush Kumar and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren
- What
- Students continue to agitate over alleged irregularities in the JSSC-CGL and TDPL-conducted exams, while the government cancels those exams and orders inquiries.
- When
- Piyush Kumar spoke on Tuesday, a day after Chief Minister Hemant Soren's Monday announcement.
- Where
- Ranchi, Jharkhand, including Jaipal Singh Stadium.
- Why
- Students allege irregularities in the examinations and insist on demands such as withdrawal of notifications, clarity on CDPO and FSO exams, the 2018 age cut-off, and a CBI probe.
Protesters' position
Government's position
End of the agitation
Protesters' position
Students say the agitation will continue until all demands—including notification withdrawal and a CBI probe—are met, and they refused to end the hunger strike.
Government's position
The government says it has addressed the issue by cancelling all TDPL activities and JSSC-CGL exams, after which aspirants celebrated at Jaipal Singh Stadium.
CBI probe
Protesters' position
Students want a CBI inquiry into the exam irregularities and question the government's unclear stance on it.
Government's position
The government has not clearly committed to a CBI probe; instead it ordered a comprehensive inquiry under a retired judge's supervision, with the SIT and CID already investigating.
- State
- Jharkhand
- Chief Minister
- Hemant Soren
- Cancelled exams
- All TDPL-conducted examinations and JSSC-CGL
- Student demands
- Withdrawal of notifications, CDPO/FSO clarity, 2018 age cut-off, CBI probe
- Inquiry scope
- Alleged irregularities in exams from 2014 to present
- JPSC inquiry
- Comprehensive inquiry under supervision of a retired judge
- Investigating agencies
- SIT and CID
- Protest venue
- Jaipal Singh Stadium, Ranchi