Dramatic scenes unfolded in Ranchi on Monday, August 10, as Jharkhand student protesters danced and raised slogans while police fired water cannons at them during their march towards the state Assembly. The protesters had earlier breached police barricades as they attempted to reach the Vidhan Sabha to press their demands over irregularities in government recruitment examinations.
Jharkhand Police use water cannons against protesters marching towards Vidhan Sabha
Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/vnJ7AH4Bvk#Jharkhand #protest #watercannon pic.twitter.com/yjjkA4dPq3— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) August 10, 2026
The agitation, being led under the banner of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, has now entered its 17th day. The students are protesting against irregularities in examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). Their key demands include cancellation of the disputed recruitment examinations, a CBI probe into the irregularities and paper leaks, greater transparency in the recruitment process, and comprehensive reforms to ensure fair examinations in the future.
The students began their agitation in late July and intensified it after talks with the state government failed to resolve their concerns. On Monday, thousands of aspirants gathered in Ranchi and launched a march towards the Assembly. Police erected multiple barricades and deployed heavy security forces to prevent the protesters from reaching the Assembly premises. When some protesters broke through the barricades, police used water cannons and lathi charge to disperse them.
Instead of retreating, however, several protesters responded to the water jets by dancing, turning the police action into a striking display of defiance. Videos of the unusual response quickly drew attention, with the students appearing determined to continue their agitation despite the heavy security arrangements.
#WATCH | JPSC-JSSC aspirants’ protest in Ranchi (Jharkhand) | Even as Police use water cannon to disperse student protesters, they dance and continue their ‘Vidhan Sabha Gherao’ march. pic.twitter.com/MlqXDoX3Ta— ANI (@ANI) August 10, 2026
The protest has also included a hunger strike by student leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who had completed nine days of fasting before joining Monday’s Assembly march in an ambulance. The continuing agitation has put mounting pressure on the Hemant Soren government to address the students’ concerns over recruitment examinations.
