RANCHI, March 13 -- For the thousands of students packed into the coaching hubs of Lalpur, Kutchery, and Upper Bazar in the state capital, the struggle to clear competitive exams has been eclipsed by a more immediate challenge: the struggle to light a stove.

As the district administration enforces a mandatory 25-day gap between LPG bookings, the student community - the city's largest floating population - finds itself caught in a pincer grip of software upgrades and a crackdown on "jugaad" refills.

In the narrow lanes of Ranchi's hostel districts, the "small cylinder" was once a lifeline. Students living in shared rooms typically used 2 kg or 5 kg cylinders, which they refilled illegally at local kiosks for a premium. However, with depu...