Jharkhand students block road to protest headmaster's transfer

On August 12, Singh was directed to report back to his parent institution, Lawahi Kala High School in Dandai block of the district, he said.

Students of a state-run school blocked a road for nearly seven hours on Thursday in Jharkhand's Garhwa district to protest the transfer of their headmaster, officials said.

Security personnel stand guard near a road blocked amid security concerns, amid the ongoing protest by students and aspirants demanding a probe into alleged recruitment exam irregularities conducted by the JPSC and JSSC, near Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's residence, in Ranchi, Jharkhand, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (PTI)

Garhwa District Education Officer (DEO) Jagarnath Lohra said Malay Kumar Singh had been serving as headmaster on deputation at the Kandi Plus-2 High School for nearly two months.

On August 12, Singh was directed to report back to his parent institution, Lawahi Kala High School in Dandai block of the district, he said.

"The students did not want the headmaster to leave the school and staged a protest. Considering their demand, the department has decided not to send him back to his parent institution and allow him to continue serving on deputation at the Kandi Plus-2 High School," Lohra told PTI.

The students ended their protest after receiving the assurance, he said.

Garhwa SP Ashutosh Shekhar said the students initially demonstrated near the school premises, carrying banners and posters demanding that the headmaster be retained.

They later blocked the Kandi-Bhawnathpur Main Road, disrupting traffic for several hours, he said.

"There are also allegations that some students vandalised nearby shops, but no case had been registered as police had not received any complaint," he said.