Police in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand fired tear gas, used water cannon and baton charges on protesters demanding reform of the state's government recruitment exam system, after crowds tried to breach barricades on their way to the state assembly in Ranchi. Thousands of students, job seekers and volunteers have been protesting for more than two weeks, and the unrest follows weeks of similar nationwide demonstrations over exam paper leaks, including the "Cockroach" protests in Delhi that led to the resignation of the education minister.

The immediate trigger was a preliminary civil service exam held by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission in April, after which leaked answer sheets suggested some successful candidates had answered suspiciously few questions, fuelling allegations that results had been manipulated. A police official said most protesters were peaceful but blamed a smaller group for stone-throwing that injured three officers; the official number of injured protesters is unclear. The state's Criminal Investigation Department is probing the allegations, more than a dozen people have been arrested, and the JPSC chairman, who resigned in July, was arrested on Monday. The government has agreed to cancel the disputed exam and two others, but protesters say the agitation will continue until all their demands, including a fuller investigation into irregularities, are met.