Soren said the government was concerned about the agitation and had already enacted the Jharkhand Competitive Examination Prevention and Redressal of Unfair Means in Recruitment Act, which would be implemented strictly.
“Several surprising factors emerged during the probe into exam irregularities by the CID and special investigation team. These cannot be disclosed at this juncture,” Soren said, adding that several companies operating in Jharkhand appeared to be involved in a “huge exam racket”.
The agitators had announced plans to gherao the chief minister’s residence on August 20 and appealed to students from across the state to assemble in Ranchi.
They had also sought Soren’s resignation and accused the ruling JMM-Congress alliance of failing to take concrete action on their demands.
The cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination, however, triggered a counter-protest by candidates who had cleared the examination and secured government jobs.
A group of successful candidates gathered outside the state secretariat and appealed to Soren not to cancel the examination, claiming that the move would render around 2,000 people jobless.
The opposition BJP backed the protesters’ demand for a CBI probe.
Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi urged Soren to accept the students’ demands and questioned why the government should fear a CBI probe if it was confident about the recruitment process.
Marandi said continued government inaction could push more youth and students onto the streets and extended moral support to the proposed August 20 demonstration.
With the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL and TDPL-conducted examinations, the government has accepted one of the agitation’s most prominent demands.
The government, meanwhile, asserted that it is prepared to overhaul the examination system through the new reforms committee and stricter enforcement of the anti-unfair-means law.
Meanwhile, the CID continued raids to nab culprits involved in exam irregularities.
“We are conducting raids at the JSSC office in connection with alleged irregularities in various examinations,” CID ADG Manoj Kaushik told PTI.
