The Jharkhand government’s decision to cancel the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination has brought an end to one protest but triggered another.
Around 2,000 candidates who cleared the JSSC-CGL examination and were subsequently appointed to government posts protested outside the Jharkhand Secretariat on Tuesday, August 18. They fear that the cancellation of the examination could put their jobs at risk.
“Tell us our crime. Don’t throw us out,” one of the candidates said, expressing concern over the government’s decision.
The protest came a day after Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination along with recruitment tests conducted by outsourced agency TSR Data Processing Pvt Ltd (TDPL) since 2014. The decision followed more than two weeks of protests over alleged irregularities in government recruitment examinations.
Candidates Demand Fair Investigation
The successful candidates said they are not opposed to an investigation into alleged malpractice. However, they argued that those who cleared the examination fairly should not lose their jobs unless individual wrongdoing is established.
Kaushal Kumar, an assistant section officer, said the candidates had joined government service after the recruitment process and court proceedings.
“Tell us our crime. Don’t throw us out. We were appointed after a court order,” Kumar said.
He added, “We have come with all documents. Don’t cancel it. Probe it. Do a CBI probe or whatever investigation you deem fit, but please don’t do injustice to us.”
The candidates are also demanding a CBI probe into the recruitment process.
‘No Innocent Should Be Punished’
Another appointed candidate, Chanda Kumari, questioned whether the successful candidates had been given an opportunity to present their side before the government took the decision.
“Democracy means that 100 guilty may be spared, but no innocent should be punished,” she said.
Kumari said she came from a poor background and had secured her position through hard work. Rejecting allegations that all successful candidates benefited from malpractice, she said, “We could not have bought all these jobs.”
The candidates argue that they are being punished before any wrongdoing has been established against them.
Candidates Fear Age Limit Will Leave Them Without Options
The protesters have also raised concerns about the age limit for government recruitment. Many successful candidates say they have already crossed the upper age limit and may not be eligible to compete in a fresh recruitment process.
S K Singh, another candidate, said many had waited for years before finally joining government service.
“You cannot throw us out without any rhyme or reason,” he said.
Kumar claimed that more than 500 successful candidates had left Central government jobs after securing appointments in Jharkhand. “One resigned from a Level-6 central position, a job in the India Meteorological Department, to join a job here. Where would we go?” he asked.
Some candidates have warned of further legal action and hunger strikes if their concerns are not addressed.
Government Defends Exam Cancellation
The Jharkhand government has defended the cancellation, saying it is necessary to restore confidence in the recruitment system.
Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar said successful candidates could seek legal remedies. JMM spokesperson Manoj Pandey also acknowledged their concerns.
“We are sympathetic to them,” Pandey said, while maintaining that fresh vacancies would provide opportunities to deserving candidates.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren has also announced an exam reforms committee headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal to recommend measures for strengthening the recruitment process.
The cancellation was one of the key demands of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, which had led the agitation over alleged irregularities. Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto subsequently suspended his hunger strike, calling the government’s decision a “huge victory for Jharkhand.”
However, with successful candidates now protesting to protect their appointments, the controversy surrounding the state’s recruitment system appears far from over.
