Jharkhand Protests Intensify Over Alleged JPSC Exam Paper Leak, Demand CBI Probe
Jharkhand protests in Ranchi intensify as it enters week 2. Students continue to reject political participation and are demanding a CBI probe for the matter. Read below to know what is the latest update.
Jharkhand student protests in Ranchi, have stepped in an intense phase in the second week over the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) Combined Civil Services Preliminary Examination paper leak. The student protestors are demanding CBI involvement and investigation in this matter. The unrest began on July 2, 2026, when the JPSC results were released and the category-wise cutoff and official OMR sheet was left out of the result notification.
The OMR sheet of the successful candidates which went viral on social media platforms showed that a candidate had only 48 questions out of 100 correct and still they cleared the cutoff criteria. This raised questions and students' outrage erupted over leaked papers and forging of results.
According to the students, the question paper envelope seals were broken at many JPSC exam centres and they alleged that the papers were leaked long before. A social media outrage turned into an organized movement when the leader Devendra Nath Mahato went on an indefinite hunger strike at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium on August 2, 2026. Protestors are demanding the cancellation of 14th JPSC preliminary exams and want the government and concerned authorities to review all exams being conducted by TSR Data Processing Private Limited, TDPL.
The Jharkhand government has formed a 11-member delegation after CM Hemant Soren talked to the protestors. The delegation consists of 8 students, 2 technical experts and a lawyer. After the investigations by CID, 14 people were arrested and multiple raids were conducted across Ranchi, Hazaribagh and Dhanbad. The JPSC has since postponed its entire 2026 examination calendar amid the ongoing investigation.
Organisers said that the protests have drawn energy from the recent NEET paper leak protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar led by the Cockroach Janta Party which culminated in the resignation of the then-Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan. Protestors have clearly stated that they will not have talks behind closed doors and some have also indicated on having a CJP-kind protest if the demands are not met. The controversy adds to a pattern of recurring allegations against Jharkhand's recruitment bodies, including a 2024 JSSC paper leak that led to the cancellation of a Combined Graduate Level exam, and paper-leak claims at JPSC centres that same year.
#WATCH | Ranchi, Jharkhand | Ink thrown at president of the All India Students Association, Neha Bora
She says, "On 20th July, tear gas shells were thrown at us, pellet guns were used against us, when we did not get scared, then what can this ordinary ink do to us?..." pic.twitter.com/CBF83Ng5Ea
— ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2026
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Saumya is an education journalist. with over 9 years of editorial experience. Saumya is the Chief Sub Editor at Jagran Josh. She has spent more than 6 years in creating research, student-friendly, and SEO-optimized educational content. She has the ability to transform complex information into easy-to-understand language.In her previous role at Shiksha, she created content for several management entrance exams, including CAT, XAT, and CUET. Besides this, she enjoys makeup artistry and cooking in her spare time.
