- A delegation of the Jharkhand Government comprising Ministers held talks for the first time in Ranchi with student protesters demanding a CBI inquiry into alleged irregularities in competitive exams for government jobs.
- The students’ protest under the JPSS-JSCC Reform Manch entered its 14th day.
- The two hour-long meeting was inconclusive, with the student protesters firm on continuing their protests.
- Meta has ramped up censorship of protest and political reels, blocking posts by political leaders, parties, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) members, and ordinary protestors at a rapid pace, following tense meetings between the company’s leadership and the Union government.
- Among those whose posts have been blocked in India are the Indian Youth Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das, and the news portal Scroll.in.
Student protests in Jharkhand have entered their 14th day as demonstrators demand a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into alleged irregularities in government job exams. A government delegation met with protesters in Ranchi, but the discussions were inconclusive, leading students to remain firm in their demands.12
The two-hour meeting did not yield any agreement, prompting the protesters to continue their demonstrations under the JPSS-JSCC Reform Manch. The students are calling for accountability and transparency in the examination process, which they believe has been compromised.
In a related development, Meta has ramped up its censorship efforts, blocking posts from various political leaders and parties, including the Indian Youth Congress and Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal. This move follows tense discussions between Meta's leadership and the Indian government regarding the regulation of political content on social media platforms.45
The ongoing protests and the crackdown on political discourse highlight the growing tensions between the government, students, and social media companies in India, raising questions about freedom of expression and the right to protest.
“The two-hour meeting in Ranchi was the first between the state government and the JPSS-JSCC Reform Manch, which continues to demand a CBI inquiry. Meanwhile, Meta has blocked posts by Arvind Kejriwal, Indian Youth Congress, and Scroll.in amid tense meetings with the Union government.”
