Government's sweeping cancellations
In a move aimed at addressing long-standing student protests over alleged irregularities, the Jharkhand government has cancelled 22 recruitment examinations, including the JSSC-CGL, and ordered probes into 23 others. The decision, announced by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, follows a cabinet meeting on Monday and was formalised through eight notifications issued late Tuesday night.
The cancelled exams cover a wide range of posts, including drug inspectors, assistant professors in government engineering and medical colleges, lecturers in government polytechnics, senior scientific officers, assistant conservators of forests, forest range officers, food safety officers, and child development project officers, as reported by The Tribune.
The government said the action was necessary to restore confidence in the recruitment system amid allegations of malpractice and irregularities. Chief Minister Soren said the decision was taken at a special Cabinet meeting after considering the concerns raised by protesting students.
High Court stay and legal challenge
The legal fallout was immediate. On Thursday, the Jharkhand High Court stayed the government's order to cancel the 11th and 13th JPSC exams and appointments, according to The Times of India. The court's intervention came a day after several petitions were filed challenging the broader cancellation of 22 examinations.
These petitions were filed by Avdhesh Kumar and other candidates who had been declared successful and subsequently appointed by the government. The Tribune reported that these petitioners now face losing their jobs and have approached the High Court seeking relief.
Protests by appointed employees
The cancellation has triggered protests from an unexpected quarter: the very candidates who had cleared the JSSC-CGL and were appointed to government posts. On Tuesday, hours after the cancellation was announced, government employees staged protests, questioning the decision and demanding an opportunity to present their side.
Chanda Kumari, one of the protesters, told PTI that thousands of candidates who had already secured appointments had been affected. "Our judiciary and democracy function on the principle that even if 100 guilty people go free, one innocent person should not be punished. But with the government's decision, thousands of innocent people have been punished immediately," she said.
Kumari also criticised the process, saying that for the past 24 days the government had heard only one side and had not given the other side an opportunity to present its case.
Student leaders celebrate, but demand CBI probe
The original impetus for the cancellations came from student protests, which included a 16-day hunger strike by student leader Devendra Nath Mahto. Mahto ended his fast after the decision, calling the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination a "huge victory for Jharkhand." However, the demand for a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities remains a point of contention, according to The Times of India.
Reform measures and investigation
In addition to the cancellations, the government has announced a series of transparency measures, including a time-bound annual examination calendar, technology-secured exams, timely publication of answer keys and OMR sheets, and multi-level accountability. An exam reforms committee headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal has been constituted to recommend ways to strengthen and streamline the recruitment process, The Times of India reported.
The Jharkhand CID has also begun investigating the alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
Perspectives
Jharkhand government: The cancellations are necessary to restore confidence in the recruitment system amid allegations of malpractice and irregularities. The decision addresses student concerns and is accompanied by reform measures.
Appointed employees: Thousands of successful candidates are being punished without being given a chance to present their case. They argue that innocent people should not suffer for the alleged wrongdoing of others.
Protesting students: The cancellations are a victory, but a CBI probe into the irregularities is still demanded.
Jharkhand High Court: The stay on the cancellation of 11th and 13th JPSC exams and appointments suggests a need to examine the legal validity of the government's actions.