Jharkhand Student Protest Live: Students Reach Seventh Barricade, Police Use Water Cannons as Assembly March Intensifies

The student protest in Ranchi over alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC examinations has intensified on Monday, August 10. After marathon talks with the state government failed to resolve the key demands, hundreds of protesting students continued their march towards the Jharkhand Assembly.

The students had gathered near the Old Assembly in the morning before beginning their march towards the New Assembly. As the protesters moved forward, the administration put up multiple layers of barricades to prevent them from reaching the Assembly premises.

The protesters have now reached the seventh barricade, marking a significant escalation in the Assembly march.

Police Use Water Cannons to Stop Protesters

As the crowd moved closer to the Assembly, police deployed water cannons to disperse the protesters and prevent them from crossing the security barricades.

Despite the water being sprayed at the crowd, the students continued raising slogans and showing their determination to move forward. The atmosphere at the protest site remained tense as security personnel tried to maintain the barricade line.

Student organisations have appealed to protesters to remain peaceful and not fall for any provocation or rumours.

Government Claims 98% of Demands Accepted

The latest escalation comes a day after nearly five hours of talks between representatives of the protesting students and a special committee of state ministers.

The government delegation included ministers Sudivya Kumar Sonu, Deepika Pandey Singh, Sanjay Prasad Yadav and Chamra Linda.

The state government has claimed that around 98% of the students' demands have already been accepted. These include cancellation of the 14th JPSC Preliminary Examination and ACF examination, an investigation into examinations conducted through the TDPL agency and the formation of an expert committee to suggest reforms in the examination system.

However, the students have refused to withdraw their protest.

JSSC-CGL Cancellation and CBI Probe Remain Key Demands

The biggest point of disagreement between the government and the students remains the JSSC-CGL examination.

Student representatives are demanding that the JSSC-CGL examination be cancelled and that the entire examination process be investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

JMM minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu, however, has argued that the CGL examination was conducted under the direct supervision of the High Court and Supreme Court. According to the government, the state does not have the authority to independently cancel the examination or order a CBI investigation.

The issue has therefore become the main roadblock in negotiations between the two sides.

Heavy Security Around Jharkhand Assembly

The Ranchi administration has deployed extensive security arrangements around the Assembly in view of the protest.

BNS Section 163 has been imposed within a 750-metre radius of the New Assembly complex, with the Jharkhand High Court excluded from the restricted zone.

Multiple layers of barricades have been installed and a large police presence has been deployed to prevent protesters from entering the Assembly premises.

Protest Reaches a Crucial Stage

With students now reaching the seventh barricade and police resorting to water cannons, the Jharkhand student movement has entered a crucial phase.

The students remain firm on their demand for the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination and a CBI probe, while the government maintains that most of their demands have already been accepted.

The immediate focus is now on whether the protesters will be able to move past the remaining security barriers and whether fresh talks between the government and student representatives can break the deadlock.

For now, the Assembly march continues and tensions remain high in Ranchi.