Ranchi: The Jharkhand government on Saturday, August 8, held talks with the Devendra Nath Mahto-led faction of the protesting job aspirants over the alleged paper leaks.

However, it failed to break the deadlock. This is the second round of discussions that the state government held with the protesting aspirants. The first one was held on Friday night with a 10-member delegation of the JPSC/JSSC Reforms Manch.

The meeting began at the state guest house in Ranchi as Mahto’s fast over the issue entered its seventh day.

State minister Dipika Pandey Singh said the talks were held in a positive atmosphere and recruitment discrepancies explained by students will be resolved soon. “We will meet different student unions, including the NSUI, Jharkhand Chhatra Morcha and Adivasi Chhatra Sangha, and brief the chief minister on outcomes,” she said.

Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar said the government has issued an email ID, jpsc.jssc.feedback@gmail.com, seeking suggestions from aspirants on reforming the recruitment processes.

An eight-member delegation of the grouping is meeting Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar and state ministers Dipika Pandey Singh, Chamra Linda, Sanjay Prasad Yadav, following massive protests in the state capital over the last two weeks.

“We have been demanding immediate cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand PSC Civil Services Examination, and all exams conducted by that agency,” Mahto, a Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) leader, told PTI.

He said since the students have been protesting peacefully for over two weeks, the state government should fulfil their demands immediately.

“They should not procrastinate on it. How the government responds to the demands will be interesting to see. If the government had fulfilled the demands on Friday after the talks they held with the 10-member delegation of students, there would be no need for the meeting today, because our demands are almost the same,” Mahto said.

“My health condition is deteriorating day by day. Blood pressure and sugar levels are dropping. The doctor informed me about a chest infection and advised hospital admission. If these conditions continue, it will be dangerous for me. I am only able to listen, think, and speak slowly,” he added.

The delegation of the protesters comprises Rama Avatar Mahto, Chandan Kumar, Dinbandhu Mandal, Bimal Kumar, Puja Kumari, Prem Kumar, Ravi Shankar and Amit Kumar Sharma.

The protesters are seeking an independent probe into the alleged irregularities, either by the CBI or by a panel of retired high court judges from outside the state.

So far, 19 people have been arrested in connection with irregularities in the JPSC exams, while the agency’s former chairman, L Khiangte, has been questioned four times since July 28.