A delegation from the Cockroach Janta Party arrived in Jharkhand on Saturday to support students protesting over alleged irregularities and paper leaks in state recruitment examinations. Party spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the organisation stood in “complete solidarity” with the aspirants. The delegation, led by Mukesh and Akshay Shinde, pledged to provide the protesters with all possible forms of assistance.

The visit coincided with talks between the Jharkhand government and representatives of several student organisations. A five-member government panel comprising state ministers met different groups in an effort to resolve the continuing agitation. However, the discussions failed to end the deadlock, with protesters maintaining that their demonstration would continue until the government accepted all their demands.

The panel first met a faction led by Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha leader Devendra Nath Mahto, whose fast over the examination dispute entered its seventh day. The group, known as the JPSC-JSSC Candidates’ Forum, held discussions with the ministers for approximately two hours. The panel later met separate delegations from the Congress-backed National Students’ Union of India, Adivasi Chatra Sangh and Jharkhand Chhatra Morcha.

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State minister Sanjay Prasad Yadav, a member of the government panel, described the aspirants’ concerns as genuine and said their demands would be presented to Chief Minister Hemant Soren. The government had held another round of talks with representatives of the JPSC/JSSC Reforms Manch on Friday night. Officials assured demonstrators that a decision would be taken quickly, but no final settlement was announced.

The Jharkhand Chhatra Morcha submitted five demands, including cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination. The NSUI presented six demands, seeking a Criminal Investigation Department inquiry within 90 days into all disputed JPSC and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission examinations. It also called for the establishment of a Jharkhand Testing Agency modelled on the National Testing Agency.

Adivasi Chatra Sangh representatives demanded that tribal and regional languages be included as qualifying papers in recruitment examinations and that tests affected by proven irregularities be cancelled. Members of the JPSC-JSSC Candidates’ Forum said they would continue their agitation despite the government’s assurance of a prompt decision. Cancellation of the 14th JPSC examination remains among the protesters’ central demands.

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