Youth Protests Over Exam Leaks Grip Bihar and Jharkhand

Youth protesters in Bihar and Jharkhand are staging hunger strikes and demonstrations to demand accountability for recruitment irregularities in state civil service examinations. In Patna, Pappu Yadav, an independent Member of Parliament, joined research scholars and aspirants in a hunger strike in the Gardanibagh area on August 16, 2026. Yadav is demanding the scrapping and re-conduction of the 70th Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exam, citing admitted question paper leaks and marking inconsistencies. He further criticized the government for police brutality against students and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of labeling educated youth as intellectual Naxals during his Independence Day address.

Simultaneously, in Jharkhand, youth protesters have entered a 21-day fast-unto-death to demand a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into misconduct within the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). Aditya Sahu, president of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Jharkhand, criticized Chief Minister Hemant Soren's administration for ignoring the protesters and questioned why the government fears a federal inquiry. As the health of participants like student Prem Nayak deteriorates, student leaders are considering escalating their movement through a Jail Bharo Andolan or protests at the Chief Minister's residence in Ranchi.