Jharkhand Protest: Students form 11-member panel for talks with Hemant Soren government

Students and job aspirants, who have been protesting against alleged recruitment examination irregularities in Jharkhand, on Thursday announced that they formed an 11-member delegation to hold talks with the government to resolve the issue. The decision was taken a day after Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the doors of his government were open to agitators.

The protest, which began on July 25 under the banner of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium here, emerged as one of the biggest student-led movements in the state in recent years. "We have formed an 11-member delegation, comprising eight students, two experts (journalists) and an advocate in response to the government's offer to hold talks in connection with the stir," said an office bearer of JPSC/JSSC Reforms Manch.

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The demonstrators have been demanding cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand PSC Civil Services Examination and an independent probe into the alleged irregularities in the recruitment test either by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or by a panel of retired high court judges from outside the state.

They also stressed comprehensive reforms in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). "The role of journalists and the advocate will be limited to providing guidance as we want peaceful talks and resolve the issue," the office-bearer said. Soren had on Wednesday said the question paper leak issues are a national problem and offered talks to resolve the impasse.