Ranchi: The Jharkhand government has cancelled the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination, amid a prolonged agitation by students demanding action over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced on Monday night that the state government has decided to cancel the JSSC-CGL examination as well as all examinations conducted by outsourced agency TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL) since 2014. CM Soren announced the decision following a four-hour meeting with ministers.
The announcement came after the government reviewed the concerns surrounding the examination and the findings emerging from ongoing investigations.
CM Soren also announced a much wider investigation, saying the CID will probe all examinations conducted in Jharkhand since 2014.
The decision comes after the controversy surrounding the JPSC examination, with students demanding cancellation of examinations allegedly affected by irregularities and seeking an independent investigation into the recruitment process.
CM Soren: SIT and CID Investigations Revealed Shocking Facts
Speaking to the media after the Cabinet meeting, Soren said investigations conducted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and CID had brought several disturbing facts to light.
The Chief Minister indicated that the investigations were still underway and that all details could not be disclosed publicly at this stage.
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He also pointed to what he described as a complex and interconnected network involving different companies that had operated in the state at different points in time.
According to Soren, the government has therefore decided to expand the investigation and conduct a CID probe into all examinations held in Jharkhand since 2014.
The Chief Minister also addressed the students’ demand concerning the JPSC Civil Services Examination. He said the issue was the most important and crucial demand being raised by the protesting youth and assured that a thorough investigation would be conducted under the supervision of a retired judge.
Student Leaders Welcome Cancellation, But Demand More Action
The cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination was welcomed as an important development by protesting student representatives, although several leaders said their agitation would continue until all their demands were addressed.
Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto said the most important task now was to ensure that the investigation was conducted thoroughly and that everyone involved in corruption was brought to justice.
He demanded that the alleged masterminds behind the networks involved in examination irregularities be identified and arrested.
Another student leader, Ravindra Paswan, said the students’ demand for a CBI inquiry had still not been accepted.
Paswan said the cancellation of the examination represented a major victory for the students, but maintained that the agitation would continue because the demand for a CBI investigation had not been fulfilled.
What Did Hemant Soren Say?
Addressing a press conference after the Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the government had decided to cancel all examinations conducted by TDPL.
Soren said a committee headed by IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal would be constituted to implement reforms in the examination and recruitment system.
The Chief Minister also said the issue relating to the 14th JPSC examination had been discussed during a meeting with ministers and that the government had taken a decision on the matter during the Cabinet meeting.
According to Soren, the government has decided to cancel not only examinations conducted by TDPL but also recruitments made by the company and other work handled by the agency.
The Chief Minister questioned why irregularities occurred despite existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) governing how examinations should be conducted.
He said that if the prescribed SOPs had been properly followed, such irregularities would not have occurred.
CM Soren further stated that all results published by TDPL and all activities undertaken by the company would stand cancelled.
Successful Candidates Protest Cancellation
The cancellation also triggered anger among candidates who had successfully cleared the JSSC-CGL examination.
Soon after the government announced the decision, successful candidates gathered outside the ministry building and created a major uproar in protest against the cancellation.
The development highlighted the conflicting reactions to the government’s decision. While protesting students demanding cancellation viewed it as a major victory, candidates who had cleared the examination expressed strong opposition to the move.
The controversy has therefore widened beyond the original allegations of irregularities, with different groups of candidates now raising concerns over the impact of cancellation on their careers and recruitment prospects.
Babulal Marandi Questions Government’s Decision
Jharkhand Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi welcomed the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination as a victory for the protesting students but questioned the government’s decision not to order a CBI investigation.
In a post on X, Marandi congratulated the students who had been protesting at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi for 23 days and described the examination cancellation as a major victory for their movement.
However, he argued that the government’s refusal to order a CBI probe raised questions about its intentions.
Marandi said that without a CBI investigation, the alleged corruption embedded in the recruitment system could not be completely eliminated. He also warned that unless those responsible were decisively punished, people within the system could again attempt to manipulate recruitment and “sell off jobs” meant for young people.
He described the cancellation as only the first step and said that a CBI inquiry followed by decisive action against those responsible would constitute the real victory for the protesting students.
Student Agitation Enters 25th Day
The student agitation in Jharkhand has continued for several weeks, with protesters demanding cancellation of the JPSC and JSSC examinations and a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities.
According to the information provided, students have been on hunger strike for 24 days.
A meeting between student representatives and the state government was scheduled, but it could not take place as ministers were occupied with the Cabinet meeting during which the decision to cancel the JSSC-CGL examination was taken.
The prolonged protest has put increasing pressure on the state government to address the students’ demands and take action against those allegedly responsible for examination irregularities.
Rahul Gandhi Extends Support to Protesting Students
Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has also extended support to the protesting students.
In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Gandhi said the Congress party supports the constitutional right to peaceful protest.
He referred to the support extended by the party to students protesting against alleged paper leaks and irregularities in the education system over the past several months.
Gandhi also urged Soren to personally meet representatives of the protesting students.
According to Gandhi, such a meeting would help demonstrate the government’s commitment to addressing the concerns that remain unresolved.
Students Demand CBI Probe
Despite the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination and the announcement of a CID investigation, student representatives continue to insist on a CBI inquiry.
Rupesh Kumar, who is leading the agitation from Hazaribagh, said the government must take the students’ demands seriously.
He alleged that a CBI investigation could expose the role of several people within the government and claimed that this was one of the reasons attempts were being made to avoid such an investigation.
Kumar said the students had been raising their demands peacefully on the streets for a prolonged period and were now waiting for a positive initiative from the government.
Protests and Political Developments
The agitation has also seen several political and public developments.
Protesting students reportedly burned effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Congress leader Rahul Gandhion Sunday, despite Gandhi subsequently extending support to their movement.
Actress Kunika also visited the protesting students and met members of the agitation.
The student representatives involved in discussions with the government included Ravindra Paswan, Piyush Kumar Singh, Ravindra Kumar Ravi, Kartik Soren, Rajesh Prasad, Umesh Prasad, Shashank Kumar, Ankit Kumar, Anand Kumar and Shalu Kumari.
UGC-NET Cancellation Adds to Examination Controversies
The Jharkhand examination controversy comes amid a wider national debate over examination irregularities.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) recently cancelled three UGC-NET examinations for English, Commerce and Sociology after acknowledging spelling and printing errors in the question papers.
The NTA said questions that had appeared previously were repeated in the papers. Students highlighted the irregularities after the answer keys were released.
According to the information provided, the issues could not be resolved simply by removing the affected questions, leading the agency to cancel the examinations and announce fresh dates.
The re-examinations for English, Commerce and Sociology are scheduled for September 9 and 10. The NTA had earlier conducted the UGC-NET examinations between June 22 and June 30.
What Happens Next in Jharkhand?
The cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination and the announcement of a CID investigation into examinations held since 2014 could mark a significant turning point in Jharkhand’s ongoing recruitment-examination controversy.
The government now faces the challenge of conducting the proposed investigation thoroughly while addressing the concerns of different groups of candidates.
For students leading the agitation, the immediate demand for cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination has been met. However, their demand for a CBI probe remains unresolved.
At the same time, candidates who successfully cleared the examination are protesting against its cancellation, adding another layer to the government’s challenge.
The proposed investigation into examinations conducted since 2014 is expected to examine a much wider period and could potentially bring scrutiny to recruitment examinations conducted across the state over more than a decade.
For the Hemant Soren government, the next steps in the investigation, the proposed judicially supervised probe into the JPSC Civil Services Examination and the handling of the students’ remaining demands will be closely watched.
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