Jharkhand has stepped up police action following clashes during student protests over alleged irregularities in examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).More than 1,000 unidentified people have been named in FIRs registered in Ranchi, Hazaribagh and Giridih following clashes during Friday’s protests, while the total number of people named or booked across the cases is around 1,600. The police are examining video and CCTV footage to identify those accused of creating disturbances.The cases were registered at Kotwali police station in Ranchi, Korra police station in Hazaribagh and Nagar police station in Giridih. No FIR had been registered in Garhwa or Dhanbad in connection with the incidents till late Saturday evening.In Ranchi, the trouble began on Friday evening near Albert Ekka Chowk, where candidates had gathered for a programme to burn an effigy of Chief Minister Hemant Soren. A dispute broke out between the protesters and some youths during the procession, after which the situation remained tense from Albert Ekka Chowk to Vendor Market for nearly five hours. Traffic in the area was also affected.Protesters alleged that a youth snatched the effigy during the procession. They claimed that when they objected, he pushed a female student and slapped another student. The protesters then caught hold of the youth and assaulted him.The situation escalated again when the protesters attempted to burn the effigy. An argument broke out between the police and students, followed by a clash between the two sides on the stretch between Shaheed Chowk and Vendor Market.According to the protesters, the police used force during the confrontation. Two students, Ravindra Paswan and Kunal, were injured and admitted to Sadar Hospital for treatment.The situation remained tense even at the hospital, where some students allegedly attempted to create a disturbance. Police intervened and brought the situation under control before removing the students from the premises.The Ranchi case names 14 people and 200 unidentified persons as accused. In Hazaribagh, around 700 unidentified people have been made accused in a case related to a confrontation between students and the administration at Gandhi Maidan in the Korra police station area. The case was registered on the statement of the magistrate deployed there.In Giridih, a student organisation has filed a case against 11 named individuals, including the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha district president, along with 20 unidentified people. The JMM has filed a counter-case naming 11 people and between 10 and 15 unidentified persons.The authorities are now using video recordings and CCTV footage to identify those who allegedly took part in the disturbances. The action follows violent clashes reported at several places between students and JMM workers.The immediate trigger for Friday’s protests was the dispute over the cancellation of JPSC and JSSC-CGL examinations. Candidates had taken to the streets to protest against the state government over the issue and had called for the burning of the government’s effigy.The Ranchi incident has also brought the role of the police under scrutiny. The students’ account alleges that police used force during the confrontation, while the subsequent FIRs have shifted attention to those accused of violence and disruption during the protests.The latest action also comes against the backdrop of an earlier confrontation during the Assembly gherao. On that occasion, 100 named individuals and 500 unidentified people were booked in Ranchi.The issue has now moved beyond the examination dispute, with repeated street confrontations bringing students, ruling party workers, the police and the Opposition into direct conflict. The BJP has accused the government of using excessive force against students.For the students, the original issue remains the examination dispute. However, following the latest clashes, the protests have acquired a second dimension, with FIRs filed against large numbers of people and an ongoing effort to identify those captured in video and CCTV footage.What began as a protest over examinations has thus evolved into a broader confrontation over the handling of dissent on the streets, with Friday’s clashes triggering another round of police cases across Jharkhand.