8 years of preparation, 4 exams, still no justice: JPSC aspirant begins hunger strike

Government job aspirant Archana has begun an indefinite hunger strike in Ranchi, alleging irregularities in the JPSC and JSSC recruitment examinations. Her protest, after years of preparation and multiple disputed tests, reflects growing anger among Jharkhand aspirants, especially women.

In Short

• Archana says she has prepared for government jobs since 2018
• She continued studying through Covid-19, spending nearly ten hours daily
• Her first major setback came in 2024 amid alleged rigging

At Ranchi's Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, government job aspirant Archana has begun an indefinite hunger strike, alleging irregularities in the JPSC and JSSC recruitment examinations. Preparing for government jobs since 2018, she appeared for four major competitive exams in 2025 but claims every one of them was marred by corruption, paper leaks, or other irregularities.

"When a girl leaves her family to study, she carries a double responsibility. I've been preparing day and night since 2018. But after taking four exams, when I find out every time that the paper was sold, I lose my courage," Archana told Aajtak.in.

Sharing her journey, Archana said she began her preparation in 2018 and continued studying with determination through the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021, she spent nearly 10 hours a day studying while staying at home. However, her first major setback came in 2024, when she alleges that the first major examination she appeared for was hit by rigging and irregularities.

'WE WILL NOT BACK DOWN UNTIL WE GET JUSTICE'

Despite the disappointment, Archana continued preparing and appeared for four major examinations in 2025, including the Forest Range Officer, Assistant Conservator of Forest, 14th JPSC, and the JPSC Backlog examinations. According to her, every exam was affected by paper leaks, fraud, or other alleged discrepancies.

"We girls study by compromising with every situation. Eight years is no small time. But when the system itself is corrupt, what value does our hard work have? The government thinks girls will back down, but from today, I too am going on a hunger strike, giving up food and water. We will not back down until we get justice," she said.

Archana believes that the hard work of thousands of aspirants, especially women, is being wasted because of corruption in the recruitment process. She says she will continue her indefinite hunger strike until justice is delivered. Her protest has now become a symbol of the frustration and determination of thousands of government job aspirants across Jharkhand.

- Ends