Jharkhand Recruitment Exam Cancellation: High Court Stays Govt Order Scrapping JPSC, JSSC Exams
The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday stayed the state government's decision to cancel JPSC, JSSC recruitment examinations over alleged irregularities. The order came after successful candidates challenged the cancellations, arguing that they were not given an opportunity to be heard. Several petitioners had already joined government service, while the government cited CID investigation findings and complaints.
The legal battle over the Jharkhand government's decision to cancel JPSC, JSSC recruitment examinations took a new turn on Thursday, August 20, after the High Court stayed the state government's order. The petitions were filed by affected candidates, including successful candidates who had already secured appointments following their selection.
The Jharkhand government had said the cancellations followed "complaints regarding irregularities in ongoing examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and executed through TDPL, and based on facts brought before the government during the CID investigation." The government had also announced the formation of a committee to examine reforms in the JPSC and JSSC examination system. JSSC-CGL Cancelled: Hemant Soren Government Scraps TDPL Exams Since 2014 Amid Student Protests.
Jharkhand High Court Stays Govt Order Scrapping JPSC, JSSC Exams
High Court of Jharkhand stays State Government's order cancelling 11th and 13th JPSC exams and appointments. pic.twitter.com/85myosZYz4
— ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2026
22 Recruitment Exams Cancelled
The cancelled examinations include recruitment tests for drug inspectors, assistant professors, deputy collectors, dental doctors, assistant engineers, civil judges, additional public prosecutors and forest range officers, among others.
The list also includes examinations for lecturers in government polytechnics, senior scientific officers, assistant conservators of forests and various administrative and technical posts.
Candidates Challenge Government Order
Four petitions had challenged the state order. The petitioners include successful candidates from the 11th-13th JPSC Combined Civil Services Examination, JSSC-CGL and the Food Safety Officer examination. The petitions have been filed by successful candidates, including Avadhesh Kumar, Deepmala, Sonam Kumari and Saurabh Singh, among others.
The candidates' primary argument was that the government unilaterally cancelled the examinations and subsequent appointments without giving them an opportunity to present their case.
Candidates Raise Natural Justice Argument
A large number of these candidates had already joined government service following their selection, and the government's decision has directly jeopardised their employment.
The petitioners also invoked the principles of natural justice in their defence. They argued that while action should be taken against any candidate found to have played a dubious role during the investigation, it would be unjust to remove all successful candidates from their jobs without an individual inquiry or hearing.
They maintain that they appeared for the examinations in accordance with the prescribed procedure, secured positions on the merit lists and were subsequently appointed to government posts.
JSSC-CGL Results Under Question
In the JSSC-CGL case, some petitioners have also argued that the examination results were declared in compliance with earlier High Court orders, raising questions over the legality of the government's subsequent decision to cancel the entire examination.
The High Court's Thursday order staying the cancellation provides interim relief to the affected candidates as the legal challenge to the government's decision continues.
The dispute centres on how alleged irregularities in the recruitment process should be addressed while protecting the rights of candidates who were selected through the examinations and, in several cases, had already joined government service.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 20, 2026 04:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
