Archive · 23 Aug 2026
Jharkhand Job Protest Clashes Prompt FIRs Against Hundreds
Students in Jharkhand were protesting government job examinations.
They said some exams may have been conducted unfairly.
The protests also followed a court decision pausing the cancellation of several exams.
On Friday, students gathered and tried to burn an effigy of Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
Police and protesters then scuffled.
Some reports also said Jharkhand Mukti Morcha workers were involved in clashes in Ranchi.
Police filed several cases against named and unnamed people in Ranchi, Giridih and Hazaribag.
The reports give different numbers for some of the accused people, but all describe legal action after the clashes.
Officials said three FIRs in Giridih and Hazaribag named 28 people and more than 900 unnamed people.
Ranchi police had separately filed three FIRs against 14 named and more than 200 unidentified people.
Thousands of students protested alleged irregularities in Jharkhand government recruitment examinations.
The clashes followed attempts to burn an effigy of Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
Students opposed the High Court’s stay on cancelling several examinations and appointments.
- Who
- Student job aspirants, police and, according to one report, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha workers were involved; the FIRs name both identified and unidentified people.
- What
- Police filed FIRs after clashes during protests over recruitment examinations, appointments and alleged exam irregularities.
- When
- The main clashes occurred on Friday, with additional clashes reported on Saturday; students had been protesting since July 25.
- Where
- The incidents occurred in Ranchi, Giridih and Hazaribag districts of Jharkhand.
- Why
- Students opposed the High Court’s stay on cancelling several recruitment examinations and appointments and alleged that the government had failed to defend its decisions effectively.
Student protesters
Police and authorities
Recruitment decisions
Student protesters
Students accused the government of deceiving and betraying job aspirants and of failing to defend its decision to cancel examinations before the High Court.
Police and authorities
The government cancelled 44 examinations after allegations of irregularities, while the High Court stayed cancellation of several examinations and directed selected candidates to resume their duties.
Conduct of the protest
Student protesters
Students said they were protesting alleged examination irregularities and the court’s stay on cancellation decisions; they attempted to burn effigies of Hemant Soren and Rahul Gandhi.
Police and authorities
Police alleged that protesters obstructed government work, left the prescribed procession route and clashed with or assaulted police personnel.
- Giridih and Hazaribag FIRs
- Officials said three FIRs named 28 people and more than 900 unnamed people.
- Ranchi FIRs
- Three FIRs at Ranchi’s Kotwali police station named 14 people and more than 200 unidentified people.
- Hazaribag details
- One report said the Korra police station FIR named 18 accused and 700 unnamed people.
- Giridih details
- Reports described two FIRs at the Town police station, including one naming 11 people and another naming about 10 people.
- Cancelled examinations
- The Jharkhand government cancelled 44 examinations conducted since 2014 through TSR Data Processing Private Limited.
- High Court action
- The Jharkhand High Court stayed cancellation of the 11th to 13th Jharkhand Public Service Commission Combined Civil Services examinations and the Food Safety Officer examination.
- Reported discrepancy
- Another report gave a different Hazaribag figure of 200 identified and 500 unidentified people, while officials separately reported totals of 28 named and more than 900 unnamed people across Giridih and Hazaribag.
