New Delhi, Aug 24: The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre, Jharkhand government and the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) on a petition seeking an independent investigation into alleged irregularities in the state civil services preliminary examination.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana issued notices to the concerned authorities after hearing the plea.Senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra, representing petitioner Harisharan Devgan, told the bench that the petitioner was seeking either a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe or an inquiry by a former Supreme Court judge.
The petition, filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, has raised concerns over the conduct and credibility of the Jharkhand Combined Civil Services Preliminary Competitive Examination 2025.The examination was conducted by the JPSC on April 19, 2026, pursuant to Advertisement No. 01/2026.
The petitioner has questioned various aspects of the examination process and sought an independent and time-bound investigation into the allegations, arguing that the issues raised affect the fairness and transparency of the recruitment exercise.
The development comes amid protests by students and job aspirants in Jharkhand over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.In Ranchi, police have registered three FIRs following clashes and disorder during a recent demonstration.
Fourteen people have been named in the cases, while more than 200 unidentified persons have also been booked, according to police.Police said some protesters allegedly moved beyond the designated route of the demonstration, following which officers used mild force to control the situation.
Opposition leaders, however, have alleged that ruling JMM workers were involved in attacking protesters. Jharkhand Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi claimed that people associated with the ruling party used sticks and batons against demonstrators.
The allegations have added to the political dispute surrounding recruitment examinations in the state.The Supreme Court has so far only sought responses from the respondents and has not ordered a CBI investigation.
The next course of action will depend on the responses filed before the court and its assessment of the allegations.The case is being closely watched by candidates and student groups seeking greater transparency and accountability in the state’s competitive examination system.
