Jharkhand Recruitment Exam Row: Successful Candidates Enter Secretariat, Protest JSSC-CGL Cancellation

Tension prevailed at the Jharkhand Secretariat on Wednesday after a large group of successful recruitment candidates entered the premises while protesting the government's decision to cancel several recruitment examinations.

The candidates, many of whom had already cleared the examinations and secured government appointments, were demanding the withdrawal of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) exam cancellation order.

The protest came amid the Jharkhand government's decision to cancel 22 recruitment examinations and order investigations into 23 others conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC), Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) and an outsourced agency.

Candidates Protest JSSC-CGL Exam Cancellation

The successful candidates have been protesting since Monday, arguing that they should not lose their jobs because of alleged irregularities in the recruitment process.

Chandan Kumar, who was appointed as an Assistant Section Officer (ASO) after clearing the examination, said candidates had been protesting peacefully outside the Secretariat but entered the premises after the government's cancellation notification.

Another ASO, Shyam Sundar Mandal, said the agitation would continue until the government revoked the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination.

“We cleared the examination based on our merit. We have no involvement with any irregularities. The government has no right to punish us,” Mandal said.

Candidates have argued that those allegedly involved in examination irregularities should be identified and punished rather than cancelling the entire recruitment process.

“We left everything behind for this job. I worked hard for years, cleared the exam, got appointments and have been diligently serving the government for months. Taking away our jobs now feels like taking away our future,” candidate Chandni Kumar said.

Another candidate, Amit Kumar, said strict action should be taken against those responsible for any alleged malpractice but questioned why the entire batch should suffer.

Police Warn Protesters Over Prohibitory Order

Hatia DSP Neeraj Kumar appealed to the protesters to leave the Secretariat premises, pointing out that a prohibitory order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (BNS) was in force in the area.

He warned that protesters could face legal action for violating the order and advised them to shift their demonstration to a designated location outside the Secretariat.

Following the police administration's intervention, the protesters eventually left the Secretariat premises.

A leader representing the successful candidates said they had agreed to stage a peaceful demonstration at an alternative location but would continue their agitation until the JSSC-CGL cancellation order was withdrawn.

Jharkhand Government Cancels 22 Exams

The controversy follows a major decision by the JMM-led Jharkhand government amid a 26-day student protest over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.

The government has cancelled 22 recruitment examinations and ordered investigations into 23 other examinations conducted by the JPSC, JSSC and an outsourced agency since 2014.

The decision was announced after a Cabinet meeting on Monday, followed by eight notifications issued late Tuesday night.

The cancelled examinations cover recruitment for several administrative, technical and judicial positions. The cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination has triggered particular concern among candidates who had already cleared the test and, in some cases, joined government departments.

Congress Says Government Working on Solution

Reacting to the protests, Congress media in-charge Rakesh Sinha said the government was serious about the concerns of successful candidates and would come up with a solution soon.

The protests have highlighted the difficult situation faced by candidates who cleared recruitment examinations and received appointments but now face uncertainty because of alleged irregularities in the examination process.

The government will now have to balance demands for action against alleged malpractice with the concerns of candidates who maintain that they should not be penalised for irregularities they were not involved in.