Dozens of students and job aspirants have been protesting since July 25, 2026, at a stadium in Ranchi, the capital of the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand. They are demanding an overhaul of the state's government examination system, which they say is flawed and has led to widespread vacancies.

The protest includes hunger strikes and sleeping in the open. Among the demonstrators is a 27-year-old woman from a farming family in Bokaro who has spent years preparing for Jharkhand's civil service examination, hoping to secure a government job. She stated, "We will not leave until we get it, even if it costs us our lives."

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), an independent youth movement that recently led protests in Delhi over examination paper leaks, has announced its support for the Jharkhand protests. However, many protesters insist the movement remains independent and are wary of political claims over it. They welcome political support but emphasize the movement's autonomy.

Deepika Pandey Singh, a minister in the Jharkhand government, told the BBC that investigations into the allegations had begun even before the current protests. Officials noted that since Jharkhand's creation in 2000, the government examination has been advertised only three times, despite hundreds of posts remaining vacant.

These protests highlight ongoing frustrations among young Indians over job security and recruitment transparency in government roles.

Sources