Jharkhand cancels 44 recruitment exams since 2014 amid protests

In a major development amid escalating student protests over recruitment irregularities, the Jharkhand government has cancelled 44 recruitment examinations conducted since 2014.

Issued across eight separate notifications late Tuesday night, the sweeping move impacts various competitive tests organized by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and TSR Data Processing Pvt Ltd (TDPL), an outsourced agency whose entire exam proceedings and published results have now been nullified.

The decision follows a key Cabinet meeting on Monday where the state government initially announced the cancellation of the high-stakes JSSC-Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examination, directly addressing a primary demand of the agitating students.

The exhaustive list of newly annulled tests spans multiple key state cadres and professional departments, including selections for drug inspectors, assistant professors, deputy collectors, dental doctors, assistant engineers, civil judges, additional public prosecutors, and forest range officers.

Furthermore, major recruitment drives for lecturers in government polytechnics, senior scientific officers, assistant conservators of forests, and several other administrative and technical positions stand completely scrapped.

To address the alleged systemic corruption and fix accountability, the state government announced that it will approach the High Court with a request to establish a fast-track court dedicated solely to hearing cases concerning irregularities within both the JPSC and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).

Additionally, internal vigilance cells will be set up within both commissions to monitor future processes and prevent malpractice.

To restructure the state’s examination framework, a high-level reform committee headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal has been task-assigned to review the operational procedures of the JPSC and JSSC.

The panel has been directed to submit a comprehensive reform report to the state government within two months, paving the way for institutional overhauls in Jharkhand’s public recruitment system.