Jharkhand govt cancels 44 recruitment exams amid protests; appointed candidates challenge move

Ranchi: The Jharkhand government has cancelled 44 recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and outsourced agency TSR Data Processing Pvt Ltd (TDPL) since 2014, citing alleged irregularities in the recruitment process. The decision, announced a day after the state Cabinet approved the cancellation of the JSSC-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination, has triggered fresh protests from candidates who were appointed through the recruitment process.

Around 2,000 candidates appointed to various state government departments after clearing the JSSC-CGL examination marched from the state Secretariat to Birsa Chowk in Ranchi on Tuesday. They demanded that the government not cancel the examination outright and instead investigate individual cases of alleged malpractice.

“We demand that the government recall the decision to cancel CGL. We were appointed after the court's intervention, and we will seek recourse to court,” said Pusha Lata Choubey, an assistant section officer. The protesters maintained that all appointed candidates could not be treated as beneficiaries of irregularities. Several said their appointments had followed judicial proceedings and that they had already joined government departments.

Candidates said they were now working in departments including Finance, Home, Road Transport, Labour, Information and Public Relations, as well as other administrative offices.

Some candidates also said they had resigned from other government and public-sector jobs after being selected for Jharkhand government posts. Ashish Minz, a Labour Enforcement Officer in Khunti, said he had earlier worked with LIC and the Food Corporation of India.

44 examinations cancelled
The state government issued eight notifications late Tuesday night listing 44 recruitment examinations that have been cancelled. The exams cover a wide range of posts, including drug inspectors, assistant professors, deputy collectors, dental doctors, assistant engineers, civil judges, additional public prosecutors and forest range officers.

Recruitment examinations for lecturers in government polytechnics, senior scientific officers, assistant conservators of forests and several other administrative and technical posts have also been cancelled. The notifications said the government would request the Jharkhand High Court to constitute a fast-track court to hear cases related to alleged irregularities in JPSC-JSSC examinations.

The government also announced plans to establish an internal vigilance cell in the two recruitment bodies.

CID investigation widens
The cancellation comes amid a probe by the Jharkhand CID into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.

The CID arrested the wife and brother of alleged key accused Abhay Tiwari on Tuesday. Sushma Kumari and Akshay Tiwary were arrested after being questioned for several hours at the CID office. Tiwari, a former TDPL employee who was later posted as a Block Supply Officer in Poriyahat in Godda district, was arrested on July 22.

Investigators said Tiwari had qualified in around 12 competitive examinations over 13 years, including exams conducted by the police, Navy, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, CRPF and Northern Coalfields. The CID is examining his application forms, documents, evaluation records and selection details obtained from various examination-conducting agencies.

According to an official, Tiwari allegedly told investigators that different “rate charts” were used for candidates seeking to qualify in competitive examinations, with amounts ranging from ₹2 lakh to ₹70 lakh.

The CID also questioned JSSC Secretary Sudhir Gupta for several hours based on evidence collected during a raid on the commission's office on Monday. With the latest arrests, the number of accused arrested in connection with the alleged recruitment examination irregularities has risen to 22.

Government promises reforms
Chief Minister Hemant Soren has defended the cancellation, saying the move was necessary to restore confidence in the state's recruitment system.

The government has constituted an examination reforms committee headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal. The committee has been asked to recommend measures to strengthen the recruitment process and is expected to submit its report within two months. The government has also said it will seek stronger mechanisms to prevent irregularities in future JPSC and JSSC examinations.

The JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, which has led the student agitation, said it was waiting for the formal notifications before deciding its next course of action.

“We are waiting for their official notification. Only after the notification is issued will it become clear what decisions the government has taken on which points and how they will be implemented,” said Manch spokesperson Piyush Kumar Singh.

JLKM leader Devendra Mahto, who ended his 16-day hunger strike after the government's announcement, has said the second phase of the agitation will continue until the government guarantees that future JPSC and JSSC examinations will be free of paper leaks and other irregularities. Mahto has demanded a monitoring committee and a comprehensive audit of the recruitment process, and has called for legislation, if necessary, to prevent malpractice in government examinations.

A Congress delegation of ministers and legislators met Soren and welcomed the cancellation, saying it would protect the interests of students seeking fair recruitment. Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi, however, accused the JMM-led government of “cheating” protesting students by cancelling the examinations without accepting their demand for a CBI probe. The government now faces the challenge of balancing demands for a clean recruitment system with the concerns of candidates who have already secured appointments through the examinations.

For the nearly 2,000 JSSC-CGL appointees who have joined government service, the cancellation has also raised questions about the status of their appointments and their next legal course.