Jharkhand Govt Cancels JSSC-CGL Exam After 24-Day Student Protest

Guwahati: The Jharkhand government has cancelled the JSSC-CGL examination following a 24-day protest by students in Ranchi. The state Cabinet has also scrapped all other recruitment examinations conducted by private agency TDPL and ordered a wider review of recruitment exams conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) since 2014.

The decisions were taken at a special Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren. The government has also constituted a committee headed by IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal to examine the existing recruitment system and suggest reforms to make competitive examinations more transparent.

The announcement brought relief to protesting students at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi. Protesters celebrated the decision by distributing sweets and applying gulal at the demonstration site.

Meanwhile, Minister Deepika Pandey Singh, Health Minister Irfan Ansari and MLA Jairam Kumar visited Sadar Hospital, where student leader Devendra Nath Mahato and other protesters were on hunger strike. The ministers ended the hunger strike by offering juice to the protesting students.

Mahato welcomed the government’s decision, saying several key demands of the protesters had been addressed. The JPSC-JSSC Nyay Manch subsequently announced that it was suspending its agitation for the time being.

However, the demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe remains unresolved. Student leader Ravindra Paswan welcomed the cancellation of the examinations but said the Reform Manch would continue its agitation until a CBI investigation is ordered into the alleged irregularities.

The government’s decision has also raised concerns among candidates who were selected and appointed through the JSSC-CGL examination. Several such candidates gathered outside Project Bhawan in Ranchi, expressing uncertainty over their employment and future following the cancellation.

The Reform Manch is expected to announce its detailed response and next course of action, particularly regarding its demand for a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the recruitment process.

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