Concerns raised over JPSC’s Assistant Professor appointment process

Jamshedpur, Oct 22: Rakesh Kumar Pandey, the State President of the Jharkhand State University Contractual Teachers Association, has voiced apprehensions about the ongoing permanent appointment process for assistant professors conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC). Recently, a list comprising a significantly higher number of candidates than the available seats for the History subject was published, and document verification for these candidates took place on October 11 and 12. JPSC has now scheduled the interviews for candidates who couldn’t attend on October 25 and 26, moving the initial interview date from October 18 to October 30, 2023.

Pandey highlighted that the details of candidates selected for document verification are accessible on the JPSC website. However, the information for candidates not called for document verification has not been made available. This lack of transparency in the appointment process has given rise to doubts and concerns among the candidates.

This is not the first instance where JPSC’s assistant professor appointments have faced scrutiny. In the Physics Department, permanent appointments were made based on a fixed cutoff for interviews, but no appointments were finalized. As per the rules, if the predetermined cutoff criteria are not met, the cutoff should have been adjusted, and priority given to the remaining candidates. However, JPSC did not take this step. Even during that instance, only the candidates called for document verification had their information uploaded.

Pandey emphasized that JPSC’s procedures lack clarity and transparency. He mentioned that Chief Minister Hemant Soren is keen on ensuring a continuous flow of appointments in the state, but the ambiguity in JPSC’s actions not only raises doubts among candidates but also among the general public.