High Court suspends government decision to cancel 22 exams in Jharkhand

In the context of ongoing student protests, the Jharkhand government has made a significant decision. Late on Tuesday evening, the state government issued an order canceling 44 competitive examinations. These exams were annulled due to discovered violations and irregularities.

The government released eight separate notifications specifying that among the canceled tests are those conducted from 2014 to the present by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the outsourcing agency TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL).

Among the vacancies for which the exams were canceled are important positions such as narcotics inspector, assistant professor, deputy collector, dentist, assistant engineer, civil judge, additional public prosecutor, and forest ranger. Furthermore, this list included exams for positions such as lecturer, senior scientist, assistant forest custodian, and other administrative and technical posts in government polytechnic colleges.

In its official statements, the government also announced that it would approach the High Court requesting the creation of an expedited court to quickly review cases related to violations in JPSC and JSSC. An internal anti-corruption body, or Vigilance Cell, will also be established in JPSC and JSSC to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Moreover, the committee formed under the chairmanship of senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal to conduct reforms in JPSC and JSSC must submit its report to the government within two months.

It is worth noting that earlier, on Monday, at a Cabinet meeting, the state government announced the cancellation of the JSSC CGL (Combined Graduate Level) exam. This was one of the main demands of the protesting students. All exams conducted by the TDPL agency and their published results were also annulled.

A situation of 'protest against a protest' arose in Ranchi after the Jharkhand state government permitted several examinations, including JSSC-CGL. The Chief Minister announced the cancellation of the exams, taking into account the demands of students who were on a sit-in strike at JaiPal Singh stadium, which led to the cessation of their action. However, the protesting students refused to end their demonstrations.

Meanwhile, CGL candidates who had already been appointed and were holding positions began a sit-in strike outside the Project Bhawan building from Monday night. They demand clarity and fairness from the government regarding this decision, warning of an impending street hunger strike.

JSSC-CGL candidates, sitting in protest outside Project Bhawan, claim they have been there since Monday. Addressing the Chief Minister directly, they question what fault they committed that resulted in them losing their jobs overnight. They stated that their appointments were made based on a court order, and now they find themselves in a situation comparable to homelessness. They also announced the start of a street hunger strike.

Chanda Kumari, who participated in the demonstration, emphasized that according to the principles of democracy and the judicial system, it is permissible for one hundred guilty individuals to avoid punishment, but no innocent person should be punished. She accused the government of passing immediate judgment on thousands of innocent people without hearing their side. Chanda noted that the government had only heard one side over the past 24 days and did not give the other side a chance to speak.

The candidates insist that their hiring was based on a judicial decision which also stipulated that in the future, if anyone was found to be involved, only their appointment would be annulled, and the service of legitimate candidates would continue. Chanda Kumari reported that she had passed not only this one exam but also PTE JPSC, 14th JPSC, and FRO Mains. She added that the final decision would be made after all her comrades arrived.

Satyaki Kumar Singh stated that activists had approached the Supreme Court, but the Supreme Court did not even accept their petition on January 5. He accused the government of dealing with JPSC matters, yet the government canceled JSSC-CGL. He noted that canceling an exam without hearing the other side, when the matter was in court and required a six-month report, is completely unjustified. Satyaki Kumar Singh further stated that the government has set a wrong precedent where a crowd can gather and force the cancellation of any exam. He advised the government to conduct impartial investigations in court, rather than under the pressure of the 'mob'. He questioned the government: why does it make decisions under the pressure of 'mob tyranny', despite having a strong majority?

This major decision by the Jharkhand government affected more than 6.50 lakh participants. The government canceled numerous competitive examinations conducted from 2014 to the present, including the preliminary examination for the 14th JPSC civil service, the combined civil service reserve exam - 2023, the combined civil service reserve exam - 2025, the Jharkhand Eligibility Test (JET), and the recruitment of forest sector employees. As a result, confusion and tension regarding service examinations have increased in the state.

Amid student protests that continued in Jharkhand for 24 days, an important decision was made. Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced the annulment of all exams conducted by the TDPL agency, including JSSC CGL, as well as the cancellation of the corresponding results.

A commission chaired by a retired judge will be formed to conduct an impartial review of the entire incident.

Students in Jharkhand have been holding continuous protests for 24 days due to alleged irregularities in the conduct of competitive examinations. Previously, the team of ministers attempted to resolve the issue through negotiations with the protesting students, but previous talks did not yield results.