Police use tear gas on exam reform protesters in Jharkhand

Thousands of students and job seekers converged on Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand, on Saturday to demand greater employment opportunities and improvements in higher‑education infrastructure. Organizers of the rally, representing a coalition of university unions and youth groups, said the gathering was a continuation of the agitation that began in Delhi earlier this month, where demonstrators used the “cockroach” metaphor to highlight what they described as a demeaning treatment of young job‑seekers by the government. The Jharkhand protest featured speeches, a march to the state secretariat and a petition calling for the creation of new vocational training centers, faster implementation of skill‑development schemes, and a transparent allocation of state scholarships.

The demonstration comes amid rising unemployment rates among recent graduates nationwide, with the Ministry of Labour reporting a 7.2 % youth unemployment figure for the last quarter. State officials have pledged to review existing policies and meet with student representatives later this week, signaling a potential dialogue between the government and the aggrieved youth. The rally underscores the broader momentum of youth‑led movements across India seeking systemic reforms in education and employment sectors.