Jharkhand JPSC Aspirants Hold Torch March in Ranchi Against Hemant Soren Government

Ranchi, August 2 — Aspirants preparing for the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) examinations held a torch-lit procession (mashal julus) in Ranchi on Saturday evening, protesting alleged paper leaks and demanding accountability from the Hemant Soren-led state government.

What we can verify

• A video published by Khabargaon on 2 August 2026 shows a night-time torch march in Ranchi with participants chanting slogans against Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
• The protesters identify themselves as JPSC and JSSC aspirants.
• The demonstration follows ongoing allegations of question-paper leaks in state recruitment examinations.

What remains unverified

• Headcount: The video does not provide an independent estimate of participant numbers. [unverified]
• Police response: No visible police action or detention is shown in the footage. [unverified]
• Government response: No official statement from the Jharkhand government or JPSC/JSSC authorities has been located in a second independent source as of publication. [unverified]
• Specific leak incidents: The video references "paper leak" allegations generally; no FIR numbers, court orders, or investigative reports are cited. [unverified]

Context

Jharkhand's JPSC and JSSC recruitment examinations have faced repeated controversies over alleged question-paper leaks and irregularities in recent years. Student groups have staged multiple protests in Ranchi and other districts demanding fair examinations, time-bound results, and action against those responsible for leaks.

The torch march format has been used previously by student movements across India — including the NEET-UG protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi — as a symbolic night-time demonstration.

Sources

1. Khabargaon, "Ranchi में छात्र आंदोलन में मशाल जुलूस में CM Hemant Soren के खिलाफ नारेबाजी," YouTube, 2 Aug 2026. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2SO0OJ3ydI

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This report is based on a single video source. Claims about crowd size, police action, and official responses are marked [unverified] pending corroboration from additional independent outlets or official statements.