Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto has emerged as the leading face of the ongoing protests by students and job aspirants in Jharkhand over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations. The movement, which began on July 5, has intensified after Mahto launched an indefinite hunger strike at Ranchi's Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium on August 2, claiming that weeks of demonstrations failed to elicit a response from the state government. Protesters are demanding a fair and transparent recruitment process and stronger action against alleged examination-related irregularities.

The agitating students have called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into the alleged recruitment scam. They have also demanded the cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) preliminary examination until the recruitment process is made fully transparent. The movement has attracted support from various groups, including the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), whose founder Abhijeet Dipke reportedly interacted with Mahto and other student leaders through a video conference to express solidarity.

Mahto hails from a village in Ranchi district and completed his schooling in Bundu before pursuing higher education at Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University in Ranchi. He holds postgraduate degrees in Sanskrit and Kurmali, Tribal and Regional Languages, along with a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degree from Hazaribagh. Active in student politics since 2015, he has consistently campaigned on issues such as scholarship delays, examination paper leaks, recruitment policies and reservation-related concerns. He also contested the 2024 Jharkhand Assembly election from the Tamar constituency as an Independent candidate.

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Providing updates on social media, Mahto said the protest had entered a decisive phase and described the movement as a fight for a transparent, corruption-free recruitment system rather than a political campaign. He has repeatedly appealed to supporters to maintain peace and follow constitutional methods of protest, stressing that the agitation represents the interests of lakhs of students and job aspirants seeking fair employment opportunities in the state.

Mahto has drawn comparisons with education reform activist Sonam Wangchuk because of his decision to undertake an indefinite hunger strike as a form of protest. The comparison follows Wangchuk's widely publicised fast during the nationwide agitation over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. While the similarities lie in the use of non-violent protest through fasting, Mahto's campaign remains focused on recruitment examination reforms in Jharkhand, with protesters continuing to press for accountability, transparency and institutional reforms in the state's recruitment process.

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