RANCHI, India: Indian police fired tear gas and used water cannons and batons on Monday to disperse thousands of students and job seekers protesting irregularities in government recruitment examinations in the eastern state of Jharkhand, television footage showed.
The protesters had marched towards the state legislature in the state capital Ranchi, demanding reforms to the examination system and an investigation into paper leaks and other irregularities.
The demonstrations have continued for more than two weeks and reflect wider frustration among young Indians over corruption in education, limited job opportunities and unemployment.
इसे आप “शैंपूगिरी” कह सकते है !!
रांची में नए ढंग का GenZ आंदोलन !!
आंदोलनकारी छात्र अपने साथ शैंपू लेकर पहुंचे। जैसे ही पुलिस ने वाटर कैनन से पानी की बौछार की, छात्रों ने वहीं शैंपू लगाया और नहाने लगे।
ये नई पीढ़ी है भाई #Ranchi #GenZ #StudentProtest #WaterCannon #Protest… pic.twitter.com/CcHBMt52kf— Ajit Singh Rathi (@AjitSinghRathi) August 10, 2026
Protesters confront police
The agitation began on July 25, when students and unemployed young people gathered at a stadium in Ranchi. The protesters have been sleeping in the open, while several have gone on hunger strike.
On Monday, thousands marched towards the state assembly, carrying placards, waving the national flag and shouting slogans. They attempted to cross police barricades amid tight security.
Some protesters pushed against the barricades and scuffled with police. Officers responded with tear gas, water cannon and batons, television footage showed.
रांची प्रोटेस्ट: बैरिकेड हटा छात्र
विधानसभा की ओर बढ़े…Ranchi में Students का विधानसभा की ओर मार्च शुरू हो चुका है. Protest में छात्र बैरिकेड हटाकर Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha की ओर बढ़ गए हैं.
देखिए वीडियो – pic.twitter.com/HmvP3qAFOP
— News Pinch (@TheNewspinch) August 10, 2026
Ranchi City Superintendent of Police Paras Rana told ANI news agency that most protesters had remained peaceful, but accused a smaller group of breaking through barricades and throwing stones at officers. He said three policemen had been injured.
“About 90% of the students are peaceful, but there are some who are not listening even to their own representatives,” Rana said.
How brutally Jharkhand Police is doing lathicharge on protesting students.@RahulGandhi kuchh to bolo https://t.co/KYjPyuT8PE pic.twitter.com/4q1gmepdFQ
— Facts (@BefittingFacts) August 10, 2026
He said police had used “minimal force for a very short time” because the protesters were students.
“I appeal to everyone to be peaceful and not be violent. Your demands are reaching the government; do not show aggression,” Rana said.
Recruitment exam results trigger anger
The immediate focus of the protests is a preliminary civil service examination conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) in April.
Candidates raised allegations of irregularities after results were announced in July. They claimed that answer sheets circulating on social media showed some successful candidates had answered far fewer questions than expected, fuelling suspicions that the results may have been manipulated.
#WATCH | JPSC-JSSC aspirants’ protest in Ranchi (Jharkhand) | IMPROVED QUALITY | Earlier visuals from ‘Vidhan Sabha gherao’ march of protesting students, as security personnel launched a lathi charge to control crowd. Students protesters hurled slippers and empty bottles of water… pic.twitter.com/o1YEG1BTQL
— ANI (@ANI) August 10, 2026
The allegations are being investigated by Jharkhand’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID). More than a dozen people have been arrested, according to Indian media reports.
Investigators are also examining the role of a private company involved in parts of the examination process after candidates questioned how it was selected.
JPSC chairman L Khiangte stepped down on July 22. He was questioned as part of the investigation and was arrested on Monday, according to media reports.
Youth vows to continue protest
The Jharkhand government, led by regional party Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Chief Minister Hemant Soren, has held several rounds of talks with the protesters.
#BREAKING Students march to encircle Jharkhand Assembly after failed government talks. Unrest grows inside with Opposition gearing up to corner the state govt.
#Jharkhand #RanchiProtest #StudentPower @HemantSorenJMM @CMOJharkhand @JHAssembly pic.twitter.com/cgAOiJalQX— jarvis ☠️ (@Vishii14) August 10, 2026
After talks on Sunday, the government agreed to cancel the examination at the centre of the dispute, along with two other tests. Three JPSC members also reportedly resigned.
The government has said that a majority of the protesters’ demands have been accepted and that it remains open to further discussions.
Protesters, however, say they will continue their agitation until all their demands are met.
Also Read: Indian Students March On Jharkhand Assembly Over Recruitment Exam Irregularities
Their demands include an overhaul of the state’s examination system, cancellation of several tests and a probe by India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the country’s premier federal investigative agency.
The state government has assured students that they will receive justice.
Wider youth protests
The Ranchi protests follow weeks of youth-led demonstrations in New Delhi over examination paper leaks.
Thousands of young people attempted to march towards India’s parliament in the capital in protests that were linked to allegations of corruption and irregularities in government examinations.
The “Cockroach” movement protests were organised by the self-styled India’s Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) which drew support from students from several states.
The CJP, which is not a political party, called off its five-week protest on July 25 after Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned.
Police and paramilitary forces had used tear gas, pellet guns and batons to disperse protesters in Delhi, where around 50,000 young people were reported to have taken part. Some protesters clashed with police.
The protests highlighted growing anger over alleged corruption in education, a shortage of employment opportunities and wider concerns about India’s recruitment examination system.
Political pressure in Jharkhand
Unlike the Delhi demonstrations, the Ranchi agitation has attracted significant political backing.
India’s opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is in opposition in Jharkhand, has supported the protesters. The party has staged demonstrations, raised the issue in the state assembly and demanded a CBI investigation.
Congress, which is part of the Jharkhand state government but is a national rival of the BJP, has also expressed support for the students.
Chief Minister Soren on Sunday alleged that vested interests were seeking to disrupt democracy in the state. He warned against politicising the protests and reiterated his commitment to taking action to ensure justice.
