After 16‑day fast, Jharkhand youth push for anti‑leak exam act
Ranchi, August 18 – The 16‑day hunger strike by Jharkhand students concluded after the state cabinet, led by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, decided to cancel all upcoming JSSC‑CGL and TDPL examinations. While the immediate demand was met, student leader Devendra Nath Mahato announced that the struggle is moving into its second phase: a demand for a specific law to ensure that future exams remain free of paper leaks.
Mahato pointed out that the SGL exam scheduled for January 28, 2024, was scrapped twice because of leaks, and a re‑examination also suffered the same fate. “Out of the fourteen cancelled exams, how can we be certain that the same malpractice won’t happen again?” he asked.
He called for a statutory guarantee that no exam in the state will be vulnerable to leaks, question‑paper tampering, or any form of cheating. The legislation would need to provide for strict penalties and, if required, a constitutional amendment to safeguard the integrity of recruitment processes.
Mahato thanked health minister Irfan Ansari, minister Deepika Pandey and MLA Jayaram Mahato for their role in ending the fast and expressed confidence that the new law will benefit not only current students but also future generations seeking fair opportunities.