J’khand exam row: Students halt 26-day protest, give govt 2 months to act

Students protesting against alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment exams on Wednesday suspended their 26-day agitation and gave a 2-month ultimatum to the state government to resolve issues.

The announcement comes a day after the JMM-led government issued notifications cancelling 22 recruitment exams and ordering a probe into 23 others conducted by the state public service commission and an outsourced agency since 2014.

“We are now suspending the stir and giving a two-month ultimatum to the government to resolve the issues and conduct a fair probe into recruitment exam irregularities,” said a leader of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch.

The manch, which led the students’ agitation at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium here, said three protesters – Rupesh Kumar Pal, Savita Kumari, Rahul Kranti – ended their 15-day fast on Wednesday.

Manch leader Ravindra Paswan said, “The 26-day protest by students forced J’khand government to cancel 22 recruitment exams and launch a probe into 23 others.”  Spokesperson Piyush Kumar Singh said if issues remain unresolved, they would be forced to relaunch a massive agitation.

Meanwhile, the cancellation of examinations triggered panic among candidates who successfully cleared these examinations and joined various government departments.

Among the cancelled exams is the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission – Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination, prompting successful candidates to hit the streets.

The decision, announced after a cabinet meeting on Monday and followed by eight notifications issued late Tuesday night, covers recruitment examinations for several key administrative, technical and judicial posts.

JLKM leader Devendra Mahto, who ended a 16-day hunger strike following the government’s announcement, has said that he would soon launch a second phase of agitation.

Mahto has demanded guarantees that future JPSC and JSSC examinations will be “free from paper leaks and other irregularities”, besides seeking a monitoring committee and a comprehensive audit of the recruitment process.

The cancelled examinations include recruitment for drug inspectors, assistant professors in government engineering and medical colleges, lecturers in government polytechnics, senior scientific officers, assistant conservators of forests and forest range officers.

The list of cancelled tests or examinations being probed also includes various editions of the Jharkhand Combined Civil Services Examination, and tests for recruitment to food safety officers, child development project officers, food analysts, deputy director (prosecution), project managers, inspectors of factories and boilers, agriculture officers, geologists and chemists and other administrative and technical posts.

The government said the action was necessary to restore confidence in the recruitment system amid allegations of malpractice and irregularities.

The move, however, triggered protests from around 2,000 candidates who were appointed to various state government departments after clearing the JSSC-CGL examination. They marched from the state Secretariat to Birsa Chowk in Ranchi on Tuesday, a day after Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced the cancellation.

The appointed candidates said they were not opposed to an investigation but objected to the cancellation of the entire examination, arguing that action should be taken against those found guilty rather than candidates who secured appointments through a legitimate selection process.

“Tell us our crime. Don’t throw us out,” said Assistant Section Officer Kaushal Kumar, demanding a CBI probe or an independent investigation into the alleged irregularities instead of cancellation of the JSSC-CGL exam.

The protesters said several of them had already joined departments including finance, home, road transport, labour and information and public relations.

The demonstrators said they had resigned from other government and public-sector jobs after securing their appointments in Jharkhand.

Alongside the cancellations, the government has announced that it would request the high court to constitute a fast-track court to hear cases related to alleged irregularities in Jharkhand Public Service Commission and JSSC examinations. Internal vigilance cells are also proposed in both commissions.

A committee, headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal, has been constituted to recommend reforms in JPSC and JSSC exams and has been asked to submit its report within two months.

The panel is expected to examine the recruitment process and suggest measures to prevent paper leaks, manipulation and other forms of malpractice.

The investigation into the alleged recruitment irregularities has also intensified.

The Jharkhand CID arrested Sushma Kumari, wife of key accused Abhay Tiwari, and his brother Akshay Tiwari after questioning them for several hours.

Tiwari, a former TDPL employee who was posted as a block supply officer in Godda district’s Poriyahat, was arrested by the CID on July 22.

Officials said the investigation found that Tiwari had qualified for around 12 competitive examinations over 13 years, including tests conducted by the police, the Navy, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, the CRPF, and Northern Coalfields. Investigators are examining his application forms, documents, evaluation records and selection details.

They claimed that Tiwari told investigators that different “rate charts” were allegedly used for candidates seeking to qualify in competitive examinations, with “payments ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 70 lakh”. The allegations are part of the ongoing investigation and have not been established in court.

A Congress delegation met Soren and welcomed the cancellations, saying the move would protect students seeking fair recruitment.

Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi accused the JMM-led government of “cheating” protesting students by cancelling examinations without accepting their demand for a CBI probe.