Jharkhand’s ‘Anonymous Gen Z movement’: 5,000 students protest JPSC exam irregularities in Ranchi

Jharkhand’s ‘Anonymous Gen Z movement’: 5,000 students protest JPSC exam irregularities in Ranchi

Ranchi: The Ranchi protest has also not received the same level of support from actors or activists on social media as the Jantar Mantar protest. 

Around 5,000 students have been protesting in Ranchi against alleged irregularities in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) examination results, demanding a fresh and fair examination.

 The protest, which has continued for seven days, has largely remained away from the national spotlight despite drawing students from different parts of Jharkhand.

In today’s episode of DNA, Rahul Sinha, Managing Editor of Zee News, conducted a detailed analysis of the student movement, describing it as an “anonymous Gen-Z movement” and a non-political protest started by students, for students and by students. He highlighted the contrast between the Ranchi protest and the student demonstrations previously seen at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

The students have gathered at Ranchi’s Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium after initially holding a small protest at Bapu Vatika on July 25. On July 29, around 5,000 students from different districts reached Ranchi for a mega protest and Constitution March, carrying copies of the Constitution and the Tricolour. The march was conducted peacefully before the students began their ongoing protest at the stadium.

What are the students alleging? : The central issue is the JPSC examination result announced on July 2. Students allege that there were irregularities in the results and that category-wise cut-offs and candidates’ marks were not made public. They say this has left candidates without clarity about their scores or the marks required for selection.

Another allegation concerns the agency entrusted with conducting the examination. Protesters claim that the agency has been blacklisted in several states.

Students who had expected to qualify based on the previous year’s cut-off reportedly found themselves unsuccessful after the results were announced. As similar cases emerged, students began organising themselves and intensifying their protest.

The protesting students have put forward four main demands.

Their first demand is the cancellation of the 14th JPSC Preliminary Examination and the conduct of a fresh, fair examination. They also want the results and cut-offs to be made public in future examinations to ensure transparency.

The second demand is a CBI investigation into the entire matter. The protesters have said they do not have confidence in the CID and SIT investigations.

Third, they want JPSC and other competitive examinations reviewed wherever suspicious or blacklisted agencies have played a role.

The students have also made it clear that they will continue their protest until their concerns are addressed.

Students relying on their own support: Unlike some high-profile protests, the Ranchi movement has largely been sustained by the students themselves. During the initial days, some protesters survived on dry rotis or rice. In the last one or two days, people from nearby areas have collected donations and helped arrange food.

Students have reportedly contributed small amounts among themselves to arrange meals and other necessities. Despite these difficulties, their morale remains high.

The movement has also highlighted individual struggles of aspirants who have spent years preparing for competitive examinations. Students such as Shri Ram, Aisha Khatoon and Piyush have spoken about the personal and family pressures associated with prolonged examination preparation and uncertainty over employment.

Paper leaks in Jharkhand : The Ranchi protest has also brought renewed attention to a series of alleged paper leaks and examination-related problems in Jharkhand.

This year, the JSSC Excise Constable recruitment examination paper was leaked. In 2023-24, the JSSC Combined Graduate Level examination was cancelled following a paper leak.

Last year, the Hindi and Science papers of the Class 10 examination conducted by the Jharkhand Academic Council went viral on social media, after which the examination had to be cancelled. In 2022, the JSSC Junior Engineer paper was leaked.

The protesters argue that such incidents have affected young people across different sections of society and at different levels of the examination system.

Ranchi versus Jantar Mantar : Rahul Sinha also highlighted the difference between the Ranchi protest and the student movement at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

While political leaders regularly appeared on the Jantar Mantar stage, the Ranchi students say that no major political leader has so far come to meet them. The Ranchi protest has also not received the same level of support from actors or activists on social media.

Sinha questioned whether political considerations could be influencing the response to the Ranchi movement, including whether the presence of an alliance between Jharkhand’s ruling JMM and certain political parties could be a factor. He also questioned whether political leaders and public figures have become selective in their support for student movements.

The Ranchi students, meanwhile, have continued to emphasise that their protest is about examination transparency, paper leaks and their future.

Unlike the demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, where slogans and confrontational language were reported, the Ranchi students have sought to put forward their demands peacefully and within the constitutional framework.

The movement has therefore raised a larger question: if both protests involve students and concerns over examination irregularities, why has the Ranchi movement received comparatively little political, celebrity or activist attention?