Devendra Nath Mahto, an activist in India's eastern Jharkhand state, has ended a 16-day hunger strike. His decision came after the state government agreed to cancel a controversial recruitment exam, a key demand of the ongoing protests.
Mr Mahto, who had been admitted to a hospital in Ranchi due to deteriorating health, was a prominent figure in the demonstrations. The protests began on 25 July, with job-seekers and students alleging irregularities in government recruitment exams and demanding reforms.
The state government had previously cancelled a preliminary civil service exam and announced an investigation by the state's Criminal Investigation Department (CID). On Monday night, Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced the cancellation of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination and all exams conducted by private agency TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL).
Despite these concessions, some protesters state they will continue demonstrations until India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) begins probing alleged malpractices in other recruitment exams. A committee is also to be established to recommend reforms to the state's examination system.