Jharkhand job exam stir enters 18th day; BJP observing bandh, ABVP to march to Assembly

On August 11, 2026, the protest against alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment exams continued its 18th day. The BJP organized a state-wide bandh, while the ABVP planned to march to the State Assembly. The saffron party justified the bandh, citing police action against demonstrators during their march to the Vidhan Sabha on Monday.

Six students are on an indefinite hunger strike, with two hospitalized. The JPSC-JSSC Manch failed to reach a breakthrough, with both sides accusing each other of not being serious about resolving the matter. The ABVP will hold the procession from the old Vidhan Sabha to the new Assembly premises. The agitation escalated on Monday, with the police using water cannons and lathi-charging protesters, while the ED launched a money laundering probe.

Six demonstrators have been observing an indefinite hunger strike, two of them hospitalized. The Jharkhand CID arrested former JPSC chairperson L. Khiangte, increasing the number of arrests to 20. Chief Minister Hemant Soren appealed for dialogue to resolve grievances, while the BJP accused him of political motivation. The Congress, an ally of the JMM-led coalition in Jharkhand, condemned the police action, drawing a response from the BJP alleging double standards.

The government agreed to cancel the 14th JPSC examination and backlog examinations of 2023 and 2025, but the JSSC-CGL examination could not be canceled due to court monitoring. A committee led by a retired high court judge was proposed to oversee the CID investigation, but the protesters rejected it. The government also proposed reforms in the JPSC and JSSC standard operating procedures.