3 min readRanchiUpdated: Aug 6, 2026 05:57 PM IST
A delegation of eight protesters will meet the Jharkhand government to help resolve the current impasse over ongoing protests over alleged irregularities in Jharkhand’s public service and staff selection commissions, organisers have told The Indian Express.
This comes after Governor Santosh Gangwar met Chief Minister Hemant Soren as protests for wider reforms intensify in the state.
The protesters have finalised a list of 11 members to lead talks with the Hemant Soren government’s three-member delegation. The government’s delegation will have one member each from the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), sources said.
The government is now expected to inform the students of the time and venue for the meeting later Thursday.
The developments come at a time when the protesters roiled the Monsoon Session of the Jharkhand Assembly, where the Opposition BJP wore masks and carried printed messages demanding the government’s reply over the alleged irregularities. Legislators have demanded a CBI probe into the allegations.
It also comes a day after Soren met Governor Santosh Gangwar to assure him of action. In a statement Wednesday, Lok Bhawan said the governor was “apprised of the appointment processes of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), as well as matters related to the student movement. “The chief minister assured that the state government is committed to ensuring justice for the students. He stated that the government would ensure no injustice occurred against the youth and that necessary action would be taken,” it said.
The controversy began soon after the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) declared the preliminary examination results of the 14th Combined Civil Services Examination earlier this month. The Commission shortlisted 2,204 candidates for the Main examination against 103 vacancies, but allegations of irregularities began soon after. Around 3.5 lakh people took the exam.
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At the heart of the protests, which come against the backdrop of developments at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, are allegations of paper leaks in the exam. The Hemant Soren government has tried to act fast — 16 people have been arrested, and the Chief Minister has said they stand with the youth.
A student delegation of five will meet the chief minister on Thursday, organisers of the protest said on Thursday. Meanwhile, the protests rocked the first day of the Monsoon Session in the Jharkhand Assembly, with BJP legislators wearing masks.
— With PTI inputs