Jharkhand State Student Union burns CM’s effigy at Sakchi against ‘60-40 employment policy’

Jamshedpur: The Jharkhand State Student Union organized a protest today against the revised employment policy of the Hemant Soren government.

The protest was held in response to the 60-40 planning policy announced by the government, which has caused widespread anger among students and youth in the state.

The protest was organized across the state, with the East Singhbhum district unit of the Union burning an effigy of Chief Minister Hemant Soren at the Sakchi roundabout.

The protest was carried out while the Chief Minister was in the city, and as his convoy passed by, the students burned the effigy and raised anti-government slogans.

The students accused the Chief Minister of cheating the students and youth of the state, claiming that the government had failed to deliver on its promise to make an employment policy for the youth of the state.

Last month, the Jharkhand cabinet withdrew the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) examination (amendment) rules 2021, which made it mandatory for job aspirants from the general category to have passed class 10th and 12th from the state to apply for grade III and grade IV jobs.

The cabinet also approved the inclusion of Hindi, English, and Sanskrit in the list of regional language papers, which were previously kept out of it.

In December 2021, the Jharkhand high court struck down the employment policy brought in by the Soren-led government, which made passing class 10th and 12th from a school in Jharkhand mandatory for job aspirants belonging to the general category to apply for grade III and IV jobs. The state government has now reverted to the policy in force in the state prior to 2016, where 60% of the seats reserved for the JSSC examination would be for locals by virtue of job reservation to SC, ST, OBC, and EWS categories, while the rest 40% would be in the open category.

The Jharkhand State Student Union is opposing the revised employment policy of the state government, and has made it clear that their protest against the 60-40 planning policy will continue until the policy is withdrawn.