Ranchi, Sept 15: The Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday continued its interim protection against the state government’s decision to cancel recruitment processes and appointments and directed the government to file its response within 48 hours.
The direction came during the hearing of petitions challenging the government’s move to scrap recruitments following allegations of irregularities in various competitive examinations conducted in the state.
The court’s latest order means that the earlier protection granted to candidates whose appointments were facing cancellation will remain in force for the time being.
The petitions have been filed by selected candidates who have questioned the cancellation of recruitment processes and appointments after they had successfully cleared the examinations. Some of the affected candidates had already joined government service.
The recruitment controversy escalated after protests by job aspirants over alleged irregularities in examinations conducted by state recruiting agencies. The government subsequently initiated steps to examine complaints and announced measures aimed at strengthening the recruitment system.
The issue has placed two groups of candidates on opposing sides. Protesters have demanded action against those allegedly responsible for examination irregularities and sought a transparent recruitment mechanism, while selected candidates have argued that blanket cancellation of appointments would unfairly jeopardise their employment and livelihood.
The High Court had earlier intervened in the matter and restrained the immediate implementation of orders affecting appointments arising from certain recruitment examinations, including those conducted through the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
With the state government now required to respond within 48 hours, the court is expected to consider its stand before deciding the further course of action.
The proceedings will be closely watched by both candidates seeking cancellation of allegedly tainted recruitments and those seeking protection of appointments already granted to them.
