Student leaders protesting the alleged irregularities in Jharkhand’s recruitment exams on Thursday accused the Hemant Soren-led government of “deceit” after the Jharkhand High Court stayed its decision to cancel appointments made through the 11th and 13th JPSC examinations. The student leaders alleged that the government had accepted their demands and announced the cancellation of the examinations and an investigation, but failed to properly defend its decision before the high court. The high court on Thursday stayed the operation of government notifications cancelling the appointments of employees selected through the 11th and 13th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) examinations. It also stayed the order cancelling the appointments of food safety officers. While hearing a batch of petitions challenging the government notifications, Justice Deepak Roshan asked the state to file its reply by September 15, the next date of hearing.
Following the court’s order, candidates selected through the 11th and 13th JPSC examinations who were affected by the government’s notifications will continue to hold their respective posts. The court, however, made it clear that if any foul play is found in the appointment of a candidate during the investigation, the person will face the consequences and lose the service. What did student leaders say? Ravindra Paswan, one of the protesting student leaders, said the government had deceived lakhs of students by first accepting their demands and then failing to demonstrate the same intent before the court.
“I would not like to make a comment on the High Court (order). But the commitment made to us by the govt, that all our demands have been accepted, that exam has been cancelled and that there will be a proper investigation – we did not see this intent of the govt today,” Paswan told ANI. Paswan alleged that the lawyer representing the government did not make any submission before the court.
He said students had trusted the government and believed the chief minister would not “do politics with students”. He announced that students would burn an effigy of Chief Minister Hemant Soren across all 24 districts of Jharkhand on Friday. Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto, said he respected the high court’s order but questioned why the Advocate General did not appear before the court and why the government lawyer did not properly present the CID investigation report. “This makes it seem like the Govt intends to cover it up,” Mahto said in a video message.
He warned that if the government attempted to deceive students or cover up the matter, their peaceful protest would continue. Piyush Kumar also accused the government of cheating the students and questioned the manner in which it represented its case before the high court. He said the students would announce their next course of action soon. Kunal Pratap Singh alleged that the government was once again deceiving students and questioned how they could trust the investigation if the state’s case was not properly presented before the court. “The lawyer present there did not say even one word. This clearly shows that this was a trap – a trap to end the protest, ruin 26 days of our hard work and play with the emotions of the students of Jharkhand,” Singh told reporters.
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Why were the exams cancelled? The student agitation followed allegations of paper leaks and irregularities in Jharkhand’s recruitment examinations. After 25 days of protests, the JMM-led government on the night of August 18 cancelled 22 examinations and ordered an investigation into 23 others conducted since 2014. The government’s decision had come amid protests by students, including candidates selected through the 11th and 13th JPSC examinations who feared losing their jobs. The high court’s latest order has now allowed the affected employees to continue holding their posts while the petitions challenging the cancellation orders are heard. The student leaders, however, said the court proceedings had deepened their mistrust of the government and warned of further protests if their concerns were not addressed.
Paswan said the students had been given commitments by the government but alleged that the developments before the high court showed a different intent. Mahto and other student leaders also said the agitation would continue peacefully if the government failed to address their concerns. About the Author Prabhakar Jha
Prabhakar Jha is a journalist and digital news editor with nearly a decade of experience in online media, specialising in breaking news, politics, national affairs.
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Having built his career across fast-paced digital newsrooms, he has developed a reputation for delivering accurate, timely, and reader-friendly stories while leading editorial teams during high-pressure news cycles. In 2026, he joined LiveMint as a Digital Content Producer. A postgraduate in History from the University of Delhi, Prabhakar combines strong editorial judgment with a keen interest in public policy, governance, economics, and global affairs. Before joining LiveMint, he worked with leading digital publications, including News9Live and The Times of India, where he handled breaking news, copy editing, headline writing, live coverage, and newsroom coordination.
Beyond the newsroom, Prabhakar is passionate about long-form writing and storytelling. He has a particular interest in global affairs. An avid reader with a love for literary fiction, he also enjoys blogging, poetry, and working on creative writing projects. Stay updated with the latest Trending, India, World and US news. Home News IndiaJharkhand student leaders accuse Hemant Soren govt of ‘deceit’ after HC stays JPSC appointment cancellations
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