Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], August 23 : Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) spokesperson Manoj Pandey on Sunday said that people should not be misled and students confused over demands for cancelling exams, saying that the state government has set up high-level committee for reforms.
Pandey told ANI that Chief Minister Hemant Soren has taken lead to meet the demands of students.
"What is the JPSC Reform Forum? Who is part of it, who is running it, and how many students are associated with it? Jharkhand is the first state to set up a high-level committee for reforms, with Amitabh Kaushal given the responsibility. Across India, can you name one BJP-ruled state where the government has taken a similar step? Here, the Chief Minister himself has taken the lead," he said.
"But under the banner of the Reform Forum, people seem to be misleading and confusing students. Donations are said to be collected from students... This appears to be a conspiracy by some coaching operators to cancel exams, hold re-examinations, and sell their study materials online again and again," he alleged.
Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo accused the JMM-led government in the state of ignoring concerns of students.
"When students went to burn an effigy, they were allegedly attacked by JMM workers. It appears that the state leadership is ignoring the students of Jharkhand," he told ANI.
Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto on Thursday said that he respects the Jharkhand High Court's decision to stay the state government's order cancelling the 11th to 13th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) examinations and appointments; however, he questioned the government over the Advocate General's "absence" during the hearing.
In a self-made video, Mahto said he respected the High Court's order and expressed confidence that the court would ensure justice for students who had been protesting against alleged paper leaks and irregularities in the JPSC examinations
."I respect the order by the High Court. I am confident that the High Court will do justice to the principle with which we were protesting against paper leaks and irregularities in Jharkhand, which is ruining the future of lakhs of students," Mahto said.
Following protests by students and job aspirants, Jharkhand Chief Minister Soren announced that the state government had decided to cancel all activities associated with TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL), including the examinations conducted, the results published and the candidates selected, and the state Cabinet also decided to cancel the JSSC-CGL examinations.Soren also ordered a comprehensive inquiry into alleged irregularities in examinations conducted from 2014 to the present.