The Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand government on Monday, 17 August announced the cancellation of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination and ordered a comprehensive probe into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted in the state since 2014, in a major concession to protesting job aspirants.
Soren said the Cabinet had decided to cancel the JSSC-CGL examination and investigate “all errors — minor or major” that had occurred in recruitment examinations since 2014. The government also announced the cancellation of examinations and results conducted through TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL), the private agency at the centre of the controversy, and promised changes to standard operating procedures for recruitment examinations.
The decisions came as the agitation by JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch entered its 24th day. Thousands of aspirants have been protesting in Ranchi since 29 July, demanding cancellation of the examinations and an independent probe into alleged irregularities. Six protesters are currently on hunger strike, while the students had threatened to march to Soren’s residence if their demands were not met.
The state CID on Monday also raided the JSSC office in Ranchi in connection with the alleged examination irregularities, even as another round of talks between the government and protesters was held. The students, however, have continued to demand a CBI probe or an investigation by a panel of retired high court judges from outside Jharkhand.
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