Jharkhand protest highlights: Jharkhand SSC secretary Sudhir Gupta questioned by CID, day after JSSC-CGL cancelled

• The Criminal Investigation Department on Monday began conducting raids at the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission office in connection with its probe into alleged irregularities in recruitment exams.

• Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto ended his hunger strike in Ranchi after the government announced the cancellation of the key examinations, but said the students wanted a system that could prevent paper leaks and other irregularities in the future.

• Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday reiterated his support for students across India, saying it was “heartening” to see a consensus reached between the students and state government.

• Three of the six protesters who were on hunger strike ended their fast, including JLKM leader Devendra Mahto, Prem Nayak and Umme Habiba. Three others – Rahul Kranti, Sabita Kumari and Rupesh Pal, are continuing their hunger strike.

• Mahto said he would launch the second phase of protest demanding “corruption-free recruitment.”

Jharkhand protest LIVE: Three accused arrested for alleged irregularities in JPSC – Manoj Kumar, Roshan Kerketta and Umakant Oraon – have been sent to five-day police remand, ANI news agency reported.

Meanwhile, two other accused, Akshay Kumar Tiwari and Sushma Kumari, have been held.

Jharkhand protest LIVE: Jharkhand Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Arvind Sawant on Tuesday said dialogue is important in a democracy.

“I had stated earlier that we would not play politics over the students but would stand by them. I told the protesting youth that their demands should be discussed and resolved, and that the mistakes made here should not be repeated there. Rahul Gandhi also wrote to them and listened to their concerns,” Sawant told ANI news agency.

Jharkhand protest LIVE: Former Jharkhand chief minister and BJP leader Raghubar Das on Tuesday said he “welcomed” the cancellation of JSSC-CGL and other key recruitment exams.

“…But the government is silent on Jharkhand students' primary demand for a CBI probe into the matter; not a single paper leak occurred, nor did any such protest take place during my tenure,” he told PTI news agency.

Jharkhand protest LIVE: An 'Abhar Yatra' dedicated to the Jharkhand government, which was scheduled to be held on Tuesday following the cancellation of the JSSC CGL and other examinations conducted by TDPL, has been postponed due to bad weather, ANI news agency reported.

A fresh announcement regarding the date of the gratitude march is expected soon.

Jharkhand protest LIVE: Jharkhand minister Dipika Pandey Singh questioned BJP leader and state assembly LoP Babulal Marandi's demand for a CBI probe.

“Babulal Marandi wants to bring CBI to protect examination mafia; first show results of CBI's probe into 17 paper leaks,” she told PTI news agency.

Jharkhand protest LIVE: As Jharkhand Congress leaders and ministers visited chief minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday, state minister Dipika Pandey Singh told PTI news agency, “We had a discussion on commitments to students and also an extensive discussion on opposing the MMDR Amendment Bill.”

Jharkhand protest LIVE: Babulal Marandi, Jharkhand's Leader of Opposition, on Tuesday alleged that the Hemant Soren-led government was "cheating" the protesting students by announcing the cancellation of recruitment exams.

"The Hemant Soren government is cheating the students by announcing the cancellation of the examination. When the government knows that the agitators want an investigation by the CBI, why is it then backing out? It is clear from this that the people in the government are also involved in selling jobs," the former CM alleged.

"The government should make it clear why no action has been taken against the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission chairman so far," he added.

Jharkhand protest LIVE: Jharkhand health minister Dr Irfan Ansari on Tuesday visited chief minister Hemant Soren, along with other Congress leaders.

“We have come here to congratulate Jharkhand CM, as he has agreed to the demands of the students. This is the result of our leader Rahul Gandhi's efforts. It is a victory for the youth and a result of the efforts of Hemant Soren and Rahul Gandhi,” Ansari told PTI news agency.

Jharkhand protest LIVE: Jharkhand Congress leaders on Tuesday met chief minister and JMM president Hemant Soren, congratulating him on cabinet decisions taken following the protests over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, PTI news agency reported.

Jharkhand protest LIVE: The Jharkhand government's decision to cancel the JSSC-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination has put around 2,000 jobs at risk, triggering a crisis in the state administration, PTI news agency reported.

The functioning of several departments and offices could be affected, given that many successful candidates had joined government service after December 2025 and were posted across various departments, including Finance, Home, Road Transport, Labour, Information and Public Relations, and other administrative offices.

A large number of affected employees gathered outside the Jharkhand secretariat and other government offices, demanding that the government identify individual wrongdoers instead of cancelling the recruitment process and terminating the services of all successful candidates, according to the PTI report.

Jharkhand protest LIVE: The CID on Tuesday questioned Jharkhand SSC secretary Sudhir Gupta in connection with alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, PTI news agency cited an official as saying. This came a day after the agency raided the commission's office.

Gupta was interrogated for several hours based on the evidence collected during the raid on Monday, the official said.

Jharkhand protest LIVE: Aspirants in Bihar are seeking timely conduct of the fourth phase of the Teachers Recruitment Exam (TRE-4), and have demanded a notification on the same within 24 hours.

The aspirants have threatened to “gherao the state education minister's residence for his resignation” if the notification is not released in the timeframe, PTI news agency reported.

Research scholars and job aspirants have been protesting in Patna's Gardanibagh area over a multitude of issues, including new rules on recruitment of assistant professors and inconsistencies in the state civil services exam.

On Tuesday, teaching job aspirants began their protest, demanding a single-tier examination in BPSC-TRE 4, strict action against those who got jobs through corrupt practices, transparency in BSSC recruitments, and action against exam mafias, PTI reported.

Jharkhand protest LIVE: Congress leader K Raju on Tuesday said the party had always supported the cause of the students.

“Congress and Rahul Gandhi have consistently supported the students' cause…we congratulated CM Soren on this decision,” the party's state in-charge told PTI news agency.

Jharkhand protest LIVE: Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney said his “team” had arrived in Jharkhand to support the protesting students after learning of alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.

“We decided to support the students and set up a langar. Thousands of students gathered, and we appealed to them to remain peaceful. There were allegations of malpractice in several examinations and concerns over a private company, TDPL, being entrusted with government exams. The students' patience had run out,” Sahney told PTI news agency.

He further highlighted that the state government had cancelled the JSSC-CGL examinations, saying the students were “happy” but were waiting for an official notification. “We also met the Governor, who said the notification should include everything that has been announced,” he said.

Jharkhand protest LIVE: Leader of Opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly and BJP leader Babulal Marandion Tuesday alleged that the JMM-led government is "cheating agitating students" by announcing the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL and other recruitment exams.

“The Hemant Soren government is cheating the students by announcing the cancellation of the examination. When the government knows that the agitators want an investigation by the CBI, why is it then backing out? It is clear from this that the people sitting in the government are also involved in selling jobs,” the former CM said, according to PTI news agency.

Jharkhand protest LIVE: BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh on Tuesday claimed that those who “were politically hijacking” the Jantar Mantar protests had “not said anything” about the students' agitation in Jharkhand.

“It is unfortunate that those who were politically hijacking the student protest at Jantar Mantar, the Rahul Gandhi-Kejriwal camp, have not said anything about Jharkhand. This is the Congress' double standard. They have one set of teeth for show and another for eating,” PTI news agency cited Chugh as saying.

Jharkhand protest LIVE: Jharkhand student leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who ended his hunger strike on Monday after the cancellation of key recruitment exams, said he would launch the second phase of protest demanding “corruption-free recruitment.”

“I have ended my hunger strike, not the protest. The agitation will continue till the government gives a guarantee that no paper leak or irregularities will take place in recruitment examinations. We will soon launch the second phase of our protest, demanding corruption-free recruitment in JPSC and JSSC examinations,” Mahto said on Tuesday, PTI news agency reported.

Jharkhand protest LIVE: Student leader Devendra Mahto on Tuesday said the agitation in Jharkhand would not end until there was a “leak-proof exam system” in place.

“How can the movement end until there is a leak-proof examination system,” Mahto told PTI news agency.

Jharkhand protest LIVE: Jharkhand minister Shilpi Neha Tirkey on Tuesday said the students protesting in the state had “displayed patience” from the first day of the agitation, adding that the state government was “very proud” of them.

“BJP and the Opposition tried their best to hijack the protest and influence these students. But I think students had hope because they had faith in this government for justice. The CM has proven this by his decision,” Tirkey told ANI news agency, adding that this sends a message “to the whole nation.”

“Rahul Gandhi has also appreciated this move because he was constantly in touch with the CM, giving his suggestions and keeping a close eye on the entire matter,” Tirkey said.

Jharkhand protest LIVE: Jharkhand minister Shilpi Neha Tirkey said the state government was in favour of an unbiased probe into alleged irregularities in recruitment exams.

“We have proven our intention that we are with the students. We are in favour of an unbiased investigation of this entire matter because it is about establishing and re-establishing faith in the constitutional bodies. We have to strengthen the entire structure; only the Mahagatbandhan government is capable of doing this,” the minister told ANI news agency.

Jharkhand protest LIVE: Jharkhand minister Shilpi Neha Tirkey, after the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL exam, appealed to the students to “go back to studies.”

“It's a special appeal to all the students to go back to studies and preparation for examinations,” Tirkey told ANI news agency. She added, “We are a very serious government. There is no gimmick. We have taken the decisions in a special cabinet meeting.”

Jharkhand protest LIVE: BJP MP Dharmshila Gupta on Tuesday accused the Jharkhand government of a “cover-up”, while claiming “there is a risk students may be deceived again.”

"…If the government truly wishes to build the students' future, and not play games with it, it should order a CBI inquiry. This is absolutely essential, Gupta told ANI news agency.

Jharkhand protest LIVE: A day after the Jharkhand government cancelled the JSSC-CGL and other recruitment examinations conducted by TDPL, three of the six protesters who were on hunger strike ended their fast.

This includes JLKM leader Devendra Mahto, Prem Nayak and Umme Habiba. Three others – Rahul Kranti, Sabita Kumari and Rupesh Pal, are continuing their hunger strike, PTI news agency reported citing a member of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, which has been spearheading the agitation at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi.