The Jharkhand government has cancelled the JSSC-CGL examination and ordered a probe into the work contracted to TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL) since 2014. This decision comes after a 24-day student protest in Ranchi over alleged irregularities in examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
The protesting students have been demanding reforms in the examination system and action over alleged irregularities. Student leader Devendra Nath Mahato thanked the Jharkhand government and Chief Minister Hemant Soren for accepting the students’ demands and said the ongoing probe was targeting those involved in examination irregularities.
The government also decided to cancel all activities associated with TDPL, including examinations conducted, results published, and candidate selections. A committee will be formed under senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal to suggest reforms in the conduct of examinations in the state.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination and said that investigations by both the SIT and the CID have revealed several shocking facts. He noted that the state government has enacted stringent laws to curb malpractice in examinations and is now set to implement several new reforms in the examination process to ensure complete transparency.
The CID is probing the case of alleged irregularities in the examination conducted and has searched the office of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). Sources said that the CID also questioned JSSC Secretary Sudhir Gupta. A separate team of the CID also conducted a search at Mr. Gupta’s residence in Ranchi.
The cancellation of the examination has been welcomed by the protesting students, who have been on a hunger strike for the past 16 days. Leader of the Opposition in the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly Babulal Marandi congratulated the students and said that the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL is a major victory for them.
However, Mr. Marandi added that a fair investigation is essential into the alleged involvement of Mr. Soren’s friend Vinod Singh in JSSC-CGL irregularities and the role of then JSSC officials Neeraj Sinha, Sudhir Gupta, and Prashant and the Chief Minister’s residence. He also said that the allegations related to the role of Minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu and the JMM district president of Giridih in the irregularities should also be investigated.
