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Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto on Monday ended his 16-day hunger strike at Sadar Hospital in Ranchi after the Jharkhand government announced the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination and all recruitment tests conducted by private testing agency TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL).

Mahto called off his fast in the presence of Jharkhand ministers Dipika Pandey Singh and Irfan Ansari, following a state Cabinet decision chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren. The government also ordered a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probe into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted across Jharkhand since 2014.

After ending his fast, Mahto thanked Soren, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, state ministers Dipika Pandey Singh and Irfan Ansari, fellow students, the media and others who supported the agitation.

Vows To Continue Fight For Reforms 

“Today marks a huge victory for Jharkhand. While I am now suspending my protest, my struggle for reform will continue,” Mahto told reporters.

He demanded stringent laws and comprehensive reforms to prevent paper leaks and other irregularities in recruitment examinations. Mahto said the examination process should be subject to monitoring and auditing at every stage.

“Every examination must be monitored, every examination must be audited, and there must be a clear certificate for every examination and at every stage. We will continue to struggle for this,” he said.

Mahto also recalled the timeline of his agitation, saying his hunger strike began on July 2. He said a meeting with Soren on July 20 was followed by the initiation of a CID inquiry on July 28.

“Today marks the 16th day of the hunger strike. This struggle began on July 2. Following a meeting with the Chief Minister on July 20, a CID inquiry was initiated on July 28. The investigation is being conducted thoroughly, sparing no one,” Mahto said.

Students Firm On CBI Probe Demand 

After Mahto ended his indefinite hunger strike on Monday evening, other student protesters in Ranchi also called off their fasts. The decision followed the Jharkhand government's announcement scrapping the results of all competitive examinations conducted by TDPL in the state since 2014 and promising reforms to the recruitment examination system.

However, the government's decision has not fully resolved the agitation. A section of protesters said they would continue their movement until their demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the cancelled examinations is accepted.

The split among protesters leaves the issue of recruitment exam irregularities unresolved, even as Mahto's 16-day hunger strike has come to an end following the government's decision to cancel the examinations and order a CID investigation.