Authorities in the Indian state of Jharkhand have escalated coercive measures against thousands of student protesters marching towards the state assembly in Ranchi, raising grave concerns over civil liberties, physical intimidation, and state-led suppression.
Student protesters in Ranchi continue their ‘Vidhan Sabha Gherao’ march as part of their protest against alleged irregularities in Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) – Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) exams.
Reported by: Shubham Tigga and Shashwat
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The state administration deployed hundreds of heavily armed police personnel, erected razor-wire barricades, and imposed sweeping prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita to forcefully halt peaceful demonstrations. Protesters marching against systemic recruitment exam paper leaks and institutional corruption were met with aggressive state force, including police lathi-charges, tear gas, and high-pressure water cannons.
Rather than resolving the youth’s core grievances regarding compromised civil service examinations, state authorities have subjected students to systematic coercion and administrative suppression:
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Physical Force and Crackdowns: Security forces deployed physical violence, tear gas, and water cannons against peaceful student marchers exercising their constitutional right to assemble.
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Disregard for Hunger Strikers: State officials have maintained an insensitive posture toward student leader Devendra Nath Mahto and fellow marchers on an indefinite hunger strike for over eight days, failing to address their severe medical deterioration.
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Blockades and Detentions: Police forces clamped down on student gatherings across Ranchi, imposing travel blockades and detaining key movement figures to fracture organized marches.
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Misleading Narrative Control: Government representatives have attempted to downplay the crisis by publicly claiming to have met student demands, while actively refusing independent federal investigations into private testing agencies.
The growing student movement—which reflects nationwide outrage over compromised examination integrity—demands an immediate end to state coercion, the cancellation of tainted examinations, and an independent investigation by federal police into exam malpractices.
