00:05This is the moment Jharkhand's Devendranath Mahato broke his fast.
00:11But he only agreed to drink water after Sonam Vangchuk personally requested him to.
00:16He is still refusing food.
00:26Now, if you haven't heard of Mahato before, you're probably not alone.
00:30Mahato is a 33-year-old student leader from rural Rachi who has spent more than a decade
00:35raising issues affecting students and government job aspirants in Jharkhand.
00:39He studied in Bundu before attending Dr. Shama Prasad Mukherjee University in Rachi.
00:44He holds postgraduate degrees in Sanskrit, Kumali and tribal and regional languages along with a B.Ed.
00:50Since 2015, Mahato has been involved in movements concerning paper leaks, scholarships, reservation policies,
00:55recruitment rules and alleged irregularities in examinations conducted by the JPSC and the GSSC.
01:10He has now emerged as the face of another major student agitation in Jharkhand.
01:15The latest protests began after the results of the 14th JPSC Civil Services preliminary examination
01:21were declared on July 5th.
01:23Aspirants allege that several discrepancies subsequently emerged in the examination process.
01:32A day and night satyagraha began on July 25th, followed by an indefinite sit-in at Rachi's
01:37Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium from July 29th.
01:40When these protests failed to bring a concrete response, Mahato began an indefinite hunger
01:45strike on August 2nd.
01:47The students want the 14th JPSC preliminary examination cancelled.
01:51They are also demanding a CBI and ED investigation into alleged irregularities in the JPSC and
01:57JSS-CCGL and other recruitment examinations along with reforms to make the recruitment process
02:02more transparent.
02:04As Mahato's health began deteriorating, Sonam Manchuk spoke to him through a video call and
02:09urged him to at least drink water.
02:10Mahato agreed but made it clear that his protest was not over.
02:14He says he will now consume water and salt but will not eat until the Jharkhand government
02:19addresses the students' demands.
02:21He also asked Vangchuk to visit Rachi, saying he would end his hunger strike only after meeting
02:25him in person.
02:26Meanwhile, Chief Minister Hemant Soren has said the government is examining the students' concerns
02:31seriously and will announce a decision at an appropriate time.
02:34Denining of the government is emphasizing the government of the JPSC города and Salれる
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