Jharkhand Government Cancels JSSC-CGL Exam Amid Widespread Protests, Orders Probe into Past Irregularities
The Jharkhand government, led by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, has taken a significant step in response to prolonged student agitation, announcing the cancellation of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination. This decision, made after a marathon cabinet meeting, also extends to invalidating all recruitment processes handled by the outsourced agency TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL) since 2014, amidst allegations of widespread irregularities and paper leaks. For nearly a month, thousands of job aspirants had been protesting across the state, with many undertaking hunger strikes in Ranchi, demanding greater transparency and accountability in the state's examination system.
Beyond the immediate cancellation, Chief Minister Soren has mandated a comprehensive inquiry by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) into all recruitment examinations conducted by the state since 2014. Furthermore, an examination reforms committee, to be headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal, has been established to recommend measures for strengthening and streamlining the future recruitment process. While the students have largely welcomed the government's decision to scrap the flawed exams, a key demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged scams remains unaddressed, prompting some protest leaders to indicate that their agitation will continue until a CBI inquiry is ordered. The controversy highlights a recurring issue in Jharkhand, where recruitment examinations have historically been marred by allegations of malpractices and legal challenges, affecting the career prospects of countless young individuals.
