- Effigies of Soren and Rahul Gandhi were burnt in Ranchi and other districts, with students shouting slogans against the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led government and the Congress.
- The State government invited protest leaders for a fourth round of talks on August 17, 2026.
- Protest leader announced that if the government does not listen to their demands by August 18, they will gherao the CM’s residence on August 20.
- Ravindra Paswan, leader of the JPSC-JSSC Reform Manch, stated that Rahul Gandhi assured that if Mr. Soren did not take positive steps by August 15, the Congress would withdraw its support to the JMM-led government.
- However, even after August 15, the government has not taken any concrete steps to address their demands, according to Mr. Paswan.
Protesters in Jharkhand have intensified their agitation, burning effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, as they demand a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged irregularities in government job examinations. The protests, which began on July 25, have drawn hundreds of students to the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi.14
The students are specifically calling for an inquiry into the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) Combined Civil Services Examination and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) exam. Protest leader Ravindra Paswan stated that despite assurances from Gandhi that the Congress would withdraw support from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led government if their demands were not met by August 15, no concrete actions have been taken.5
“We have already announced that if the government does not listen to our demands by August 18, we will gherao the CM’s residence on August 20. We have no other option left,” Paswan warned. In response to the escalating protests, the state government has invited protest leaders for a fourth round of talks, scheduled for August 17, 2026, at the state guest house in Ranchi.23
The situation remains tense as students continue to voice their frustrations over the perceived inaction of the government regarding their demands for transparency and accountability in the recruitment process.
“Protest leader Ravindra Paswan said Congress had promised to withdraw support to the JMM-led government if demands were not met by August 15, but no concrete steps have been taken. Students have threatened to gherao the CM's residence on August 20 if demands are not met by August 18.”
