Jharkhand HC Stays Cancellation of JPSC Appointments, Orders Reinstatement of 342 Candidates

Ranchi: The Jharkhand High Court has put a temporary halt on the state government’s decision to cancel appointments made through the 11th, 12th and 13th JPSC Civil Services examinations and the recruitment of Food Safety Officers.

Justice Deepak Roshan passed the interim order on Thursday while hearing three petitions filed against the government’s decision. The court also directed the authorities to restore the appointments of the candidates who had already been selected.

The court observed that the candidates could not simply be removed from service without following the prescribed legal procedure and ensuring the principles of natural justice.

The matter has been listed for further hearing on September 15. The state government and the Jharkhand Public Service Commission have been asked to submit their responses before the next hearing.

The legal challenge follows a government notification issued on Tuesday cancelling the concerned examinations and appointments. Two of the petitions before the High Court relate to the 11th to 13th JPSC Civil Services examinations, while the third challenges the cancellation of the Food Safety Officer recruitment.

The petitioners told the court that 342 candidates selected through the three JPSC examinations are currently serving in government positions. They challenged the decision to cancel their appointments, arguing that the action affected candidates who had already been selected and appointed.

The government’s decision was linked to findings of a CID probe into alleged irregularities in the conduct of examinations. The investigation has also examined the alleged role of TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL) in the examination process.

The state government had announced a wider review of recruitment examinations, cancelling 22 examinations, keeping six processes on hold and ordering investigations into 17 others.

With the High Court staying the cancellation order for now, the selected candidates will continue in service until further orders, while the legality of the government’s decision will be examined in the next stages of the proceedings.

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