Jharkhand Student Leader Hospitalized After Hunger Strike

Jharkhand student leader Devendra Nath Mahto was hospitalized on Monday, August 10, 2026, after his health deteriorated during a nine-day hunger strike protesting alleged irregularities in state recruitment exams. The hospitalization followed a tense clash between police and job aspirants near the Jharkhand Assembly in Ranchi.

Mahto, a leader of the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM), was admitted to Ranchi Sadar Hospital after his blood sugar level dropped "drastically," according to medical officer Nancy Priya. Doctors described his condition as critical. Before being hospitalized, Mahto accused the government of attempting to suppress the student movement and vowed to continue the agitation. "A government cannot be run with batons, bullets and guns," he stated, adding that he had been forcibly placed in an ambulance.

The hospitalization came after a protest march to the Assembly turned violent. The march, which began around 10:30 a.m. from outside the old Assembly building, escalated as demonstrators breached multiple barricades. Police responded with water cannons, tear gas, and lathi charges to disperse the crowd. Several protesters and four police personnel were...