"Relief for Candidates": Jharkhand HC Quashes State Govt's Decision to Cancel JSSC CGL Exam

The Jharkhand High Court on Friday quashed the state government's decision to cancel the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (JSSC CGL) examination, bringing relief to candidates who had cleared the recruitment test.

The court also set aside the government's decision to cancel the recruitment advertisement issued for the appointments. The ruling comes amid a prolonged controversy over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations conducted by recruitment agencies in the state.

The decision is significant for candidates whose appointments had been affected by the government's earlier move to cancel multiple recruitment examinations following public protests.

COURT SETS ASIDE CANCELLATION DECISION

The latest order follows a series of legal proceedings challenging the Jharkhand government's decision to scrap recruitment examinations and appointments.

On August 18, the state government issued a notification cancelling 22 recruitment examinations, including the 11th to 13th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) examinations, following weeks of protests over alleged irregularities.

Two days later, on August 20, the Jharkhand High Court stayed the state government's order cancelling the appointments of government employees recruited through the 11th to 13th JPSC examinations.

The court subsequently deferred hearings on petitions challenging the cancellation of JPSC and JSSC recruitment examinations and appointments, fixing September 18 as the next date. The state government had sought additional time to file its affidavit after failing to meet the earlier deadline of September 7.

CID ARRESTS ACCUSED IN EXAMINATION IRREGULARITIES

Separately, the Jharkhand Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested two accused in separate cases linked to alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, officials said.

In connection with alleged irregularities in the 14th JPSC preliminary examination, the CID arrested Sanjeet Kumar from the Ratu Road area of Ranchi.

Kumar, who allegedly operated Shivangan Coaching Centre, is accused of acting as an agent and collecting money from candidates by promising to help them clear the examination, officials said.

SUPREME COURT SEEKS RESPONSES ON JPSC PROBE PLEA

The controversy over recruitment examinations in Jharkhand has also reached the Supreme Court.

Last month, the apex court issued notices to the Centre, the Jharkhand government and other respondents on a public interest litigation seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or an independent probe into alleged irregularities in the 2025 JPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana sought responses on the petition filed by social worker Harisharan Devgan.

Senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra, appearing for the petitioner, told the bench that students had been continuously protesting over alleged irregularities in the examination.

The petitioner has also sought directions for conducting a fresh preliminary examination under safeguards approved by the Supreme Court.

With inputs from ANI