RANCHI, Jharkhand – In a significant development, the Jharkhand High Court has issued an interim order staying the state government's decision to cancel two recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC). The ruling provides immediate relief to numerous candidates who had successfully cleared the 11th to 13th JPSC examinations and the Food Safety Officer examination.
Court Grants Interim Relief
The High Court's interim order came during its hearing of petitions challenging the government's cancellation. As a result, petitioners associated with both examinations are now permitted to resume their work with immediate effect. The court has directed the state government to submit a counter-affidavit within 15 days, with further proceedings pending.
Background to the Cancellations
The government's decision to cancel the examinations stemmed from a protracted 26-day agitation led by the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch. Protesters alleged widespread irregularities in various recruitment processes conducted by the JPSC, the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), and an outsourced agency since 2014. In response, the Hemant Soren government had cancelled 22 recruitment examinations and ordered probes into 23 others, aiming to restore public confidence in the recruitment system.
The agitation saw several rounds of talks, with protesters eventually suspending their indefinite hunger strike and giving the government two months to address their grievances and conduct a fair investigation. Prominent figures like Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha leader Devendra Mahto were among those on hunger strike.
Successful Candidates Protest
The cancellations also triggered a separate wave of protests from successful candidates, many of whom had already joined government service. Around 2,700 candidates, including approximately 2,000 recruited through the JSSC Combined Graduate Level examination, demonstrated outside the state secretariat. They demanded the withdrawal of the cancellation notifications, arguing that they secured their appointments on merit and should not be penalized for alleged irregularities in which they had no involvement.
“We cleared the examination based on our merit. We have no involvement with any irregularities. The government has no right to punish us,” stated Shyam Sundar Mandal, an assistant section officer, reflecting the sentiments of many affected candidates.
Chandan Kumar Sahu, a food safety officer, expressed similar frustration, noting, “No complaints have so far been received about any irregularities in exams for food safety officers. But we are being thrown out. This is not justice.” Another candidate, Anima Vibha Minz, reiterated that their success was based purely on merit.
These candidates, many of whom had joined departments such as finance, home, road transport, and labour, had also filed petitions before the High Court, seeking protection from job losses. While the High Court's stay offers a temporary reprieve for the JPSC candidates, the broader dispute concerning recruitment examinations, alleged irregularities, and the future of thousands of selected candidates remains a significant challenge for both the judiciary and the state government.