The Jharkhand High Court (HC) on Thursday issued a stay on the operation of government notifications cancelling appointments of employees recruited through the 11th to 13th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) exams, according to a report by news agency PTI. The interim relief surfaces amid growing protests over alleged irregularities in recruitment exams conducted by the JPSC and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). 

Notably, the Jharkhand government had recently ordered the cancellation of 22 exams after findings emerged from an ongoing probe by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) into alleged irregularities in the recruitment process. 

Govt orders probe into 22 exams

The state Personnel Department issued the notification on late Tuesday night following a special Cabinet meeting held on Monday. As per the decisions taken in the meeting, six exams were deferred, while 17 others conducted since 2014 were brought within the scope of the probe. 

The move was finalised as the CID probe into alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC examinations continued. After the government’s decision, concern gripped the candidates who had secured government jobs by means of recruitment examinations. 

Sources privy to the development said more than 2,600 employees who had joined government service were facing the prospect of losing their jobs as a consequence of the decision. 

Candidates protest against cancellation

Fresh protests erupted in Jharkhand against the government’s announcement on Thursday, as candidates who had already secured government jobs through the state’s recruitment exams demanded withdrawal of the notifications cancelling 22 exams and ordering probes into others. 

Some of the protestors knocked on the doors of the Jharkhand HC, challenging the government’s decision. These candidates maintained that they were not opposing the investigation into allegations of exam irregularities, but argued that cancelling the entire exams would unfairly penalise candidates who had cleared the tests on merit.

They further called for action against individual candidates found to have been involved in any malpractice, rather than cancelling the appointments of all successful candidates. 

Court’s intervention brings relief

The HC’s decision to stay the operation of the notifications provides temporary relief to employees appointed through the 11th to 13th JPSC exams. 

Moreover, the court’s intervention comes at a time when student and candidate protests have continued to mount pressure on the government over transparency and fairness in the recruitment process.