India's Eastern State of Jharkhand, Marched Toward the State Legislative Assembly on Monday, Escalating Protests Over Alleged Irregularities

Riot police deployed water cannon and barricades to disrupt the demonstration, the latest in a series that began late last month over alleged wrongdoing, including test question leaks. Protesters demand an overhaul of the state's examination system, cancellation of some tests, and an investigation by the federal police. Hundreds of police guarded the assembly behind multitiered barbed-wire barricades and deployed surveillance drones after repeated talks between student representatives and the state government failed to resolve the dispute.

Security forces fired water cannon as protesters began climbing over barricades near Jagannath Mandir, about 3km (nearly 2 miles) from the assembly complex. At least six protesters remain on an indefinite hunger strike, including student leader Devendra Nath Mahto, 33, who joined Monday's march on a stretcher after fasting for nine days. "Despite being on hunger strike, the barbed wires will not be able to stop us, Mahto said in a speech broadcast by Indian media.

The Jharkhand government agreed late Sunday to cancel the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) preliminary exam and two backlog recruitment tests, while three JPSC board members resigned after questioning by state investigators. However, student groups said protests will continue until the government cancels the Combined Graduate Level examination and hands over the investigation of exam paper leaks to the Central Bureau of Investigation. The protests come two weeks after a youth-led "cockroach movement in New Delhi forced the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over leaks of the national medical school entrance test.

The New Delhi protests were held for 36 days before Pradhan stepped down. Demonstrators in Ranchi demand an overhaul of the state's examination system. (Al Jazeera English) — condensed from source.