Ranchi, August 18, 2026: Jharkhand student leader Devendra Nath Mahto has ended his 16-day hunger strike after the state government announced the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination and other recruitment tests conducted by an outsourced agency.
Mahto called off his fast late Monday night at Sadar Hospital in Ranchi. The decision came shortly after Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced the government’s move following a Cabinet meeting. The student leader ended his hunger strike in the presence of state ministers Dipika Pandey Singh and Irfan Ansari.
Why was Mahto protesting?
Mahto’s hunger strike was part of a wider student movement over alleged irregularities in Jharkhand’s recruitment examinations. Students had raised concerns about examination procedures, alleged paper leaks and other malpractices affecting candidates seeking government jobs.
The protest began on July 2 and continued for 16 days. During the agitation, students demanded action against alleged irregularities and sought changes to the recruitment examination system.
Government cancels key examinations
The Jharkhand government announced that the JSSC-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination would be cancelled. It also decided to cancel recruitment examinations conducted by TSR Data Processing Pvt. Ltd. (TDPL), including tests conducted through the agency since 2014.
The government also announced steps toward reforming the recruitment examination system. An examination reforms committee headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal has been tasked with recommending measures to strengthen the process and prevent future irregularities.
Mahto says the struggle will continue
Although he ended his hunger strike, Mahto made it clear that the broader student movement is not over. He said the next phase would focus on ensuring that recruitment examinations are conducted without paper leaks or other irregularities.
He also called for stronger monitoring mechanisms, a comprehensive audit of the examination process and, if necessary, legislation to prevent malpractice in government recruitment tests.
Mahto described the government’s decision as a major achievement for students and Jharkhand. At the same time, the student movement has continued to seek broader reforms in the state’s recruitment system.
