Jharkhand exam cancellation sparks protest by 2,000 appointed candidates

Ranchi, August 18: A day after the Jharkhand government decided to cancel the JSSC-CGL examination and other recruitment tests conducted by an outsourced agency since 2014, a fresh protest has emerged — this time from nearly 2,000 candidates who had cleared the test and now fear losing their jobs.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced the cancellation on Monday night in response to sustained protests by aspirants alleging irregularities in the recruitment process. The decision was among the major demands of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) exam protesters. While it was expected to quell the agitation, it has raised new concerns among successful candidates, many of whom are already working as government employees after clearing the exam.

On Tuesday, these candidates gathered outside the Jharkhand Secretariat in Ranchi, demanding a fair opportunity to defend themselves. "Tell us our crime. Don't throw us out," said one of the successful candidates. They insist they are not opposed to an investigation but want the government to distinguish between those allegedly involved in irregularities and those who qualified through honest means.

Both the protesting aspirants and the successful candidates are now demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged malpractice. Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar said the successful candidates could seek legal recourse, while JMM spokesperson Manoj Pandey acknowledged their anguish, saying the party was sympathetic to them.

In a desperate appeal, Kaushal Kumar, an assistant section officer appointed through the exam, said, "We were appointed after a court order. We have come with all documents. Don't cancel it [exam]. Probe it. Do a CBI probe or whatever investigation you deem fit, but please don't do injustice to us."

Another appointee, Chanda Kumari, questioned whether candidates had been given sufficient time to present their side before the decision was made. "Democracy means that 100 guilty may be spared, but no innocent should be punished," she said. She added that she came from a poor background and had qualified for the 14th JPSC examination and the forest range officer mains examination through hard work. She rejected allegations that all those who secured appointments had collectively benefited from the alleged malpractice.

The successful candidates point to previous judicial proceedings to support their claim that their appointments were not arbitrary. They recall that the December judgment of the High Court rejected a demand for a CBI probe, holding that the existing Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigation was adequate. Many of them had joined their posts after legal proceedings, and some have been serving for years.

Another protester, S.K. Singh, said the central allegation had still not been established against the successful candidates. "Many candidates have already joined their posts following legal proceedings, and after waiting for years," he said.

The government has said that fresh vacancies would provide opportunities to deserving candidates, but this assurance has done little to ease the uncertainty, especially for those who have crossed the age limit. Some protesters have threatened a hunger strike and further legal action.