On August 10, as thousands of Jharkhand students marched in the capital, Ranchi, to gherao the State Assembly, Devendra Nath Mahto appeared amid the crowd, held aloft by his supporters, with a framed photograph of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren in one hand and the other raised towards the protesters. Flower petals were showered on him as cameras and mobile phones followed his movements. For a man who has spent a decade organising student protests, the attention is new only in scale. Mr. Mahto, 33, has emerged as the most prominent face of the agitation over alleged irregularities in the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) preliminary and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) examinations. He has been on an indefinite hunger strike since August 2, and was hospitalised after the August 10 march, entering the 15th day of his fast on Sunday (August 9, 2026). The current agitation began days after the JPSC results were declared on July 2. A Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) leader, Mr. Mahto held a press conference on July …