Ranchi, August 19: The 26-day-long student agitation against alleged irregularities in Jharkhand’s recruitment examinations was suspended on Wednesday after protesters gave the Hemant Soren-led government two months to act on their demands. While the protesting students described the government’s decision as a major victory, successful candidates affected by the cancellation of examinations have approached the Jharkhand High Court seeking relief.
The JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch has demanded a fair investigation into alleged irregularities and reforms in the state’s recruitment system. Following several rounds of discussions with the protesters, the state government decided to cancel 22 recruitment examinations conducted since 2014 by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC), Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) and an outsourced agency. Investigations have also been ordered into 23 other examinations.
The government’s decision has, however, created uncertainty for candidates who had already cleared some of the cancelled examinations and secured government appointments.
Petitions filed against cancellation of JPSC exams
Two separate writ petitions have been filed before the Jharkhand High Court challenging the cancellation of the 11th to 13th JPSC Civil Services examinations. Another writ petition has reportedly been filed against the cancellation of the Food Safety Officer examination.
JAS officer Surya Prakash Kujur, who is among those challenging the decision, said the candidates received information about the cancellation late at night.
“We received the government notice at around 12:30 or 1 am. When we learned that the 11th to 13th JPSC Civil Services examinations had been cancelled, we were completely devastated. We never imagined that something like this could happen to us,” he said.
Kujur said the petitioners had approached the court because they believed the decision had been taken without sufficient evidence or an investigation.
“We have filed the petition seeking justice against the government’s decision. We do not yet know when the matter will be listed for hearing. The petition is before the court and the court will decide when it will be heard,” he said.
Probe into alleged examination racket
The controversy has also intensified following an investigation by the Jharkhand CID into alleged irregularities in competitive examinations. The agency has arrested Sushma Kumari, wife of alleged key accused Abhay Tiwari, and his brother Akshay Tiwari after several hours of questioning.
Tiwari, a former employee of outsourced agency TDPL who was posted as a Block Supply Officer in Godda, was arrested on July 22.
According to investigators, Tiwari had allegedly cleared around 12 competitive examinations over a period of 13 years, including examinations related to the police, Navy, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, CRPF and Northern Coalfields.
Investigators have also alleged that Tiwari disclosed during questioning the existence of different “rate charts” for helping candidates clear competitive examinations. The alleged payments reportedly ranged from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 70 lakh, depending on the examination and the nature of assistance.
The allegations are part of the wider investigation into suspected malpractice in Jharkhand’s recruitment examination system.
Two sides of the controversy
The government’s decision has therefore produced two contrasting reactions. Students who had been protesting for weeks have welcomed the cancellation of the examinations and the investigations, while candidates who cleared the affected examinations fear that their jobs and careers could be jeopardised.
With the student agitation now suspended for two months, attention has shifted to the investigations and the legal challenges before the High Court. The outcome of both processes could have significant implications for Jharkhand’s recruitment system and thousands of candidates whose careers are linked to the disputed examinations.
