The Jharkhand High Court stayed the state government’s decision to cancel several recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC)
on Thursday, providing relief to candidates who had cleared the exams and were facing uncertainty over their jobs.
The order by the Jharkhand High Court comes after four petitions were filed by candidates challenging the state government’s decision to cancel 22 recruitment examinations. The petitioners included successful candidates from the 11th-13th JPSC Combined Civil Services Examination, JSSC-CGL and Food Safety Officer examination, among others.
They argued that the government cancelled the examinations and appointments without giving affected candidates a chance to put forward their side. Several petitioners had already been selected and joined government service, leaving their jobs at risk following the cancellation.
Why Were The Exams Cancelled?
The controversy began with protests by job aspirants over alleged irregularities in Jharkhand’s recruitment examinations. Following the agitation, the Hemant Soren-led government announced the cancellation of 22 recruitment examinations and ordered investigations into several others. The decision came amid allegations of malpractice in the examination process and questions over the role of agencies involved in conducting some of the tests.
Which Exams Were Cancelled?
The cancelled recruitments included several examinations conducted through JPSC and JSSC. These included the 11th-13th JPSC Combined Civil Services examination, 14th JPSC Combined Civil Services examination, JSSC-CGL, Jharkhand Eligibility Test-2024 and the 6th Limited Deputy Collector examination.
Other recruitments affected included examinations for posts such as Food Safety Officer, Child Development Project Officer, Assistant Conservator of Forest, Forest Range Officer, Drug Inspector and Assistant Public Prosecutor, among others.
Why Did Candidates Challenge The Decision?
The cancellation created a separate problem for candidates who had already cleared the examinations and, in some cases, joined government service. The petitioners argued that a blanket cancellation should not affect every successful candidate merely because irregularities were suspected in the examination process.
They have asked the court to distinguish between candidates actually found to have participated in wrongdoing and those who cleared the examinations legitimately. They have also invoked the principle of natural justice, arguing that candidates facing cancellation of their appointments should first be given an opportunity to explain their position or be individually investigated.
Jharkhand High Court’s Order
The Jharkhand High Court has now stayed the government’s decision to cancel the examinations, temporarily putting the cancellation on hold. The intervention provides relief to the successful candidates whose selections and appointments were under threat, while the court considers their petitions challenging the government’s action.
