Student leader Devendra Nath Mahato has been on a hunger strike since August 2, and his health condition has been deteriorating since late Saturday night. He has clearly stated that his hunger strike and the broader student protest will continue until a concrete solution is found to the issues raised by the aspirants. Nayak said, “This is my sixth day on hunger strike. However, the second round of talks between the Jharkhand government and the protesting students, held Saturday, once again ended without a breakthrough. The discussions failed to resolve the differences between the two sides or convince the protesting students to withdraw their agitation.