Betrayal of a Generation!

By Vikant Sahay

How Ranchi’s student revolution is exposing institutional decay and redefining democratic resistance. Yet, beyond the tragedy of state failure since its inception, Ranchi is offering the entire nation a template for how to conduct a pure, self-regulated public movement.

My grandfather, Yaduvansh Sahay, belonged to Daltongunj in Jharkhand – known today as Medininagar – and sat in the Parliament’s august halls of the Constituent Assembly of India in New Delhi, debating passionately for the fundamental rights of tribal communities and ordinary citizens under the Fifth Schedule.

Growing up in Dhanbad, Jharkhand with that heritage, I was raised on an unshakeable premise: if you work hard, respect the rule of law, and give your absolute best, our constitutional republic will honour your merit.

Today, as I look at the streets of Ranchi, from Bapu Vatika to the rain-soaked grounds of Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, my heart aches for the physical suffering of our youth, yet my pride stands unwavering before their uncompromising moral dignity.

For days on end, virtually 12-13 days now, thousands of young women and men have been sleeping on bare asphalt, enduring scorching heat and relentless monsoon downpours. These are not privileged elites or seasoned activists; they are sons and daughters from farming families and remote tribal villages across the hinterlands of Jharkhand, who travelled to Ranchi carrying nothing but high hopes and frail luggage.

To sustain their stay in the capital, cover exorbitant rentals for cramped single rooms, and pay fees at private coaching institutes, these aspirants endure gruelling daily labour. Young men ride motorcycles through the night as food delivery drivers, while young women work long morning shifts as domestic helps and house attendants.

Surviving on solitary daily meals and carrying mounting personal debts, they are not asking for government charity, political favours, or election-year handouts. They are demanding the most elementary right guaranteed by any working democracy: a fair, uncorrupted, and transparent examination system. What is unfolding in Ranchi is a tragic masterclass in administrative failure – and simultaneously a historic lesson in civilized democratic resistance.

The crisis surrounding the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) is neither an isolated oversight nor a sudden misfortune. It represents the culmination of over a two-and half-decade-long legacy of bureaucratic apathy, political greed, and structural deceit.

From the notorious 2003 paper leaks that forced early exam cancellations to the landmark 2012 JPSC scandal in which the Central Bureau of Investigation charged former chairmen and high-ranking officials for illegally appointing relatives of politicians, Jharkhand’s public recruitment apparatus has been systematically poisoned.

The past few years have exposed an even deeper, unchecked systemic rot. The 2022 Diploma exam paper leak shattered the dreams of thousands of young engineers, followed by the catastrophic 2024 JSSC CGL question paper leak that led to the arrest of Legislative Assembly staff and forced the commission’s own chairman to resign.

In recent months, the situation reached a point of absurdity when viral candidate OMR sheets showed individuals qualifying despite leaving their answer forms virtually blank. With blacklisted third-party outsourcing firms repeatedly handling confidential evaluation data and senior commission members resigning amid public scrutiny, the pattern is inescapable.

For twenty-six years, the aspirations of Jharkhand’s brightest youth have been routinely auctioned off to corrupt cartels and solver gangs. Yet, beyond the tragedy of state failure, Ranchi is offering the entire nation a template for how to conduct a pure, self-regulated public movement. In prominent protest spaces across the country, genuine student grievances are frequently hijacked. Political parties arrive with party flags, paid instigators infiltrate the crowd, and victim voices are drowned out by partisan mudslinging.

This principled stand has struck a deep chord across the country. Climate activist and social movement leader Sonam Wangchuk reached out directly to the protesting students via video call, appealing to Devendra Nath Mahato on his fourth day of a waterless fast: “Please take some water; this is tantamount to suicide… You need some time, but it could be 2-3 weeks as well, and I hope that the government will understand and make the right decision”. Wangchuk pledged his continuous solidarity, assuring the students that he would stand by them until their demands were met.

Similarly, Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, who led student demonstrations against national exam NEET paper leaks in Jantar Mantar, Delhi, extended his firm backing, stating publicly: “Spoke to the students who are protesting in Jharkhand over irregularities in JPSC and JSSC recruitment exams. The CJP stands with all the students in Jharkhand and supports their demands”.
Faced with this swelling national movement, the state government’s posture has remained characteristically defensive and reliant on stalling tactics. Addressing the media, Chief Minister Hemant Soren has offered assurances, declaring: “I have said this before as well, the government has eyes and ears, it is sensitive to the issue… the way the investigation team is working day and night, we are waiting for its answer and a conclusion.” He later added: “With close scrutiny and complete seriousness, decisions addressing their demands and queries will be announced at the appropriate time”.

While the administration points to state-level CID inquiries and piecemeal raids, sacrificing low-level middlemen while insulating structural decision-makers fails to satisfy public trust. The students have made it clear that their patience is exhausted. If the state government continues to ignore their legitimate demands, the aspirants have announced that they will peacefully march and “gherao” the Jharkhand State Legislative Assembly on August 10.

To resolve this crisis and honour the constitutional compact, the administration must move past vague rhetoric and execute a comprehensive three-part reform.

First, the state must immediately transfer the investigation into all compromised public recruitment examinations conducted over the last few years – including the 14th JPSC Preliminary and recent JSSC tests – to an independent Central Bureau of Investigation probe monitored directly by the High Court. Internal state probes lack public credibility when commission officials themselves are under scrutiny.

Second, the government must formally cancel the compromised examination cycles where widespread OMR tampering and procedural irregularities occurred, announcing transparent re-examination schedules. All private third-party outsourcing firms handling confidential candidate data must be permanently blacklisted, returning evaluation logistics to strictly accountable public-sector management.

Third, Jharkhand must enact a stringent, non-bailable Anti-Paper Leak Act featuring mandatory fast-track courts, property attachment provisions for corrupt exam cartels, and mandatory real-time transparency mechanisms. This must mandate the public release of raw OMR copies and master answer keys within 48 hours of any public exam, accompanied by a total structural purge and reconstitution of both the JPSC and JSSC boards with non-partisan individuals of established integrity.

Any state that allows its youth to be crushed under the weight of administrative incompetence surrenders its moral right to govern. The young men and women sitting on the asphalt in Ranchi are the future officers, teachers, engineers, and leaders of Jharkhand. It is time for the executive leadership to demonstrate real governance rather than political expedience. Standing with our students is not merely a gesture of sympathy; it is a duty to safeguard the democratic soul of our republic.