A student and youth protest in Jharkhand has entered its 16th day, with demonstrators alleging irregularities in examinations conducted by the state staff selection commission and other recruitment tests.
The sit-in has been continuing since July 25 at the Jaipal Singh Munda stadium in Ranchi. Earlier rounds of talks with the government have not yielded a breakthrough, according to the protesters.
On Saturday, tensions escalated within the protest camp over whether to hold further negotiations with the state government. The disagreement reportedly split the protesters into two factions, leading to a clash in which gunshots were fired.
Despite the tense situation, the state government is planning to hold a sixth round of discussions with student representatives. Protesters are demanding a CBI probe into the question paper leak issue and cancellation of the disputed examinations, and have said the agitation will continue until their demands are met. They have also planned a rally, keeping the atmosphere in the state on edge.
