Nearly 7,000 JPSC and JSSC CGL posts may go vacant: Jharkhand's 12-year exam crisis

For thousands of Jharkhand job aspirants, a government exam is not just a test. It can decide whether they become an Assistant Branch Officer, teacher, forest officer, prosecutor, civil judge or even a senior administrator.That is why the state government's decision to cancel the JSSC Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examination and other recruitment examinations linked to TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL) is much bigger than one cancelled exam. TDPL was involved in 15 major recruitment examinations: 10 for JPSC and five for JSSC.Together, these recruitment processes represented more than 6,900 advertised vacancies, covering jobs across administration, education, forests, law and technical services. Ranchi: Students during a protest against the state government over the alleged JPSC-JSSC-CGL paper leak and exam irregularities, in Ranchi, Jharkhand, Monday, August 17, 2026. (Photo: PTI) WHAT JOBS DOES JSSC CGL GIVE?The latest JSSC CGL recruitment had 2,025 vacancies after regular and backlog posts were combined. The largest share was for Assistant Branch Officers, followed by Junior Secretariat Assistants, Block Supply Officers, Block Welfare Officers, Labour Enforcement Officers and revenue posts.PostVacanciesStarting basic payAssistant Branch Officer863Rs 44,900Junior Secretariat Assistant335Rs 19,900Block Supply Officer252Rs 35,400Block Welfare Officer195Rs 35,400Circle Inspector-cum-Kanungo185Rs 35,400Labour Enforcement Officer182Rs 35,400Planning Assistant5Rs 29,200Total2,025— The recruitment had 2,017 regular vacancies, with the final figure reaching 2,025 after backlog vacancies were included.These jobs range from Secretariat work to field-level administration, welfare, food supply and land records.JPSC LEADS TO SENIOR GOVERNMENT JOBS If JSSC CGL is a route into a wide range of state government jobs, JPSC's Combined Civil Services examination is the route to several of Jharkhand's more senior administrative positions.The 14th JPSC Combined Civil Services recruitment, which is now at the centre of the current controversy, was for 103 posts. Among them were 28 Deputy Collector and 42 Deputy Superintendent of Police posts, besides other senior positions. Ranchi: People listen to Chief Minister Hemant Soren's briefing after cabinet decided to cancel Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level examination, in Ranchi, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (Photo: PTI) That distinction matters.The present crisis is therefore not simply about candidates losing clerical or junior government jobs. The recruitment processes under scrutiny include positions at substantially higher levels of the state administration.The government has cancelled TDPL-linked recruitment processes, including examinations for Civil Judge (Junior Division), Assistant Public Prosecutor, Inspector of Factories, Project Manager, Boiler Inspector and Jharkhand Eligibility Test, among others.The JPSC list alone covers 10 examination/recruitment processes, while five JSSC examinations were also linked to TDPL.10 YEARS, 15 EXAMS, 6,000+ VACANCIESTDPL's 15 examinations covered a much wider set of jobs.CommissionRecruitment/examVacanciesJPSC14th Combined Civil Services103JPSCCivil Judge (Junior Division)138JPSCAssistant Public Prosecutor — regular + backlog160JPSCForest Range Officer170JPSCAssistant Conservator of Forest78JPSCInspector of Factories14JPSCProject Manager30JPSCBoiler Inspector5JPSCJharkhand Eligibility Test (JET)Eligibility testJPSCCombined Civil Services — regular/backlog processesIncluded aboveJSSCJGGLCCE2,025JSSCTechnical/Specific Graduate Level exam594JSSCField Worker exam510JSSCPGT Teacher recruitment3,120JSSCForest Guard recruitmentRecruitment process under scrutinyThe JPSC figures include major recruitments for which vacancy numbers were announced: 138 Civil Judges, 160 Assistant Public Prosecutors, 170 Forest Range Officers and 78 Assistant Conservators of Forests.The JSSC list includes 3,120 PGT posts and 510 Field Worker posts, besides the graduate-level examinations.JET is different because it is an eligibility test rather than a direct recruitment examination, so it does not have a vacancy figure. But for Jharkhand, the bigger question is whether all 6,947 vacancies filled under TDPL since 2014 will be scrapped? WHY 2014 MATTERSThe controversy does not begin with the latest CGL exam. The government has ordered scrutiny of TDPL-linked recruitment processes going back to 2014.The agency's role covered examinations for both JPSC and JSSC. The JPSC list includes Civil Services, Civil Judge, Assistant Public Prosecutor, Inspector of Factories, Project Manager, Boiler Inspector and JET. The JSSC list includes JGGLCCE, the Technical/Specific Graduate Level examination, Field Worker, Forest Guard and PGT recruitment.That means the impact stretches across more than a decade of government recruitment.WHAT DOES THE CANCELLATION MEAN FOR CANDIDATES?The immediate impact is different for different groups.For candidates who were still waiting for an examination or result, cancellation could mean another recruitment process and another opportunity to compete.For those who have already been selected, the situation is far more serious. Around 1,975 candidates had already received appointments through the latest JSSC CGL recruitment in the latest vacancy. Their jobs are now at the centre of the dispute.The government has said the action follows findings from the CID and SIT investigations and has ordered a wider examination of recruitment processes since 2014. What will happen to over 6,500 jobs posts under JPSC, JSSC CGL? (AI-genearted-image) A DECADE OF RECRUITMENT, NOW UNDER ONE INVESTIGATIONFor aspirants, the irony is difficult to miss.A government examination is supposed to offer a straightforward bargain: study, sit the exam, clear it and get a job.But in Jharkhand, a recruitment process that began years ago is now being reopened because of alleged irregularities in the system that conducted it.The government has promised an investigation into recruitment examinations dating back to 2014 and has announced reforms to the examination system.For the candidates who were still preparing, cancellation may mean another chance.For the 1,975 people who had already joined through JSSC CGL, it means something very different: starting over after they believed they had already reached the finish line.But for Jharkhand, the bigger question is whether all 6,947 vacancies filled under TDPL since 2014 will be scrapped? The answer could determine the fate of thousands of government employees whose careers began through these recruitment examinations.- EndsPublished By: Princy ShuklaPublished On: Aug 18, 2026 15:44 IST