New Delhi, August 18:Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday welcomed the resolution of the recent student agitation in Jharkhand, saying it was encouraging to see the state government and protesting students reach a consensus through dialogue.

In a post on X, Gandhi said the students had called off their hunger strike after an understanding was reached with the Jharkhand government.

“A consensus has been reached between the students of Jharkhand and the state government, and the students have ended their hunger strike - it was heartening to hear this news.”

Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto ended his hunger strike at Sadar Hospital in Ranchi in the presence of Jharkhand Ministers Dipika Pandey Singh and Irfan Ansari. The development followed Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s announcement cancelling the JSSC-CGL examination and examinations conducted by TDPL.

Mahto had been on hunger strike as part of a student-led agitation over issues related to the state’s recruitment examination process, including demands for greater transparency and accountability.

Welcoming the outcome, Gandhi said the government’s decision to engage directly with the protesting aspirants demonstrated the importance of addressing genuine concerns through dialogue rather than suppressing dissent.

“Chief Minister Hemant Soren ji and the Jharkhand government chose the path of dialogue and arrived at a solution. The students exercised restraint and made their point heard. This is the right way - when students raise questions, they should get answers,” he said.

Gandhi also used the occasion to call for broader reforms in the country’s competitive examination system. Referring to issues such as paper leaks and what he described as commercialised “recovery” systems, he said the resolution in Jharkhand should be seen as the beginning of a wider transformation.

“We stand with every student in the country. And we will uproot and transform this recovery system - so that every student gets the full reward of their hard work and the right to fair competition,” he said.

Meanwhile, dozens of candidates appointed through the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination staged a protest outside Project Bhawan, the state secretariat in Ranchi, amid heavy rain.

The demonstration followed the state Cabinet’s decision to cancel the JSSC-CGL recruitment examination, leaving the employment status of candidates who had already been appointed uncertain.

Carrying umbrellas and sheltering under makeshift tarpaulins, the appointed candidates demanded an immediate review of the decision or clarity on their status. They argued that they had cleared the competitive examination and received official joining orders after years of preparation, and that cancelling the process would unfairly affect candidates who had already secured appointments.

The protests have added another layer to the ongoing controversy surrounding recruitment examinations in the state.

Earlier, Soren announced the cancellation of activities associated with TDPL, including examinations conducted by the company, results that had been published and the selection of candidates through the process.:::