Jharkhand High Court pauses Hemant Soren govt's order cancelling JPSC exams

The Jharkhand High Court has paused the state government’s order cancelling two recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC), providing relief to candidates challenging the decision. The court passed the order while hearing petitions related to the 11th to 13th JPSC examinations and the Food Safety Officer examination. It directed the state government to file its response within 15 days along with a counter-affidavit.The court’s interim order means the government’s decision to cancel the examinations will remain on hold pending further proceedings. The petitioners associated with both examinations will also be allowed to resume work with immediate effect, according to the directions issued by the court.EXAMS CANCELLED AMID 26-DAY RECRUITMENT STIRThe High Court’s intervention comes days after the Jharkhand government decided to cancel 22 recruitment examinations and order probes into 23 others conducted since 2014 by the JPSC, Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) and an outsourced agency.The decision followed a 26-day agitation led by the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations. The government defended the cancellations, saying the step was necessary to restore public confidence in the recruitment system. Following several rounds of talks, protesters suspended their agitation on Wednesday and gave the Hemant Soren government two months to address their grievances and conduct a fair probe into alleged examination irregularities.Three protesters who had been on an indefinite hunger strike for 15 days also ended their fast on Wednesday. Earlier, Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha leader Devendra Mahto had ended his 16-day hunger strike on Monday, while two other protesters, Prem Nayak and Umme Habiba, called off their fast the following day. The JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch has warned that it would intensify the agitation if the government failed to resolve the issues within two months.SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES PROTEST EXAM CANCELLATIONSThe cancellation of the examinations, however, triggered a separate protest by around 2,000 candidates who had successfully cleared the tests, particularly those recruited through the JSSC Combined Graduate Level examination.Several successful candidates approached the Jharkhand High Court, challenging the government’s decision and seeking protection from potential job losses. They argued that they had secured their appointments on merit and should not be penalised for alleged irregularities in which they had no involvement.Some candidates also entered the Jharkhand Secretariat premises on Wednesday despite prohibitory orders and police warnings.“We cleared the examination based on our merit. We have no involvement with any irregularities. The government has no right to punish us,” said Shyam Sundar Mandal, an assistant section officer.The candidates said many of them had already joined various government departments, including finance, home, road transport, labour, and information and public relations.GOVT PROPOSES REFORMS, FAST-TRACK COURTThe state government has said it will seek directions from the High Court for setting up a fast-track court to deal with cases related to alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC examinations.It has also proposed internal vigilance cells in both recruitment commissions. A committee headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal has been constituted to recommend reforms in the functioning and examination processes of the JPSC and JSSC. The panel has been given two months to submit its report.Meanwhile, the Jharkhand CID investigation into the alleged recruitment irregularities has intensified.The CID has arrested Sushma Kumari, wife of key accused Abhay Tiwari, and his brother Akshay Tiwari after questioning them for several hours. Tiwari, a former employee of outsourced agency TDPL who was posted as a block supply officer in Godda, was arrested on July 22.Investigators have alleged that Tiwari qualified in around 12 competitive examinations over 13 years, including tests conducted by the police, the Navy, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, the CRPF and Northern Coalfields.The investigators have also claimed that Tiwari told them that different “rate charts” were used for candidates seeking to qualify in competitive examinations, with alleged payments ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 70 lakh.- EndsPublished By: Shipra ParasharPublished On: Aug 20, 2026 16:12 IST