Now Reading: Jharkhand High Court stays Soren govt order cancelling JPSC exams
-
01
Jharkhand High Court stays Soren govt order cancelling JPSC exams
The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday stayed the state government's order cancelling two recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC), offering immediate relief to candidates who had challenged the…
The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday stayed the state government's order cancelling two recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC), offering immediate relief to candidates who had challenged the decision. The court directed the government to file its response within 15 days along with a counter-affidavit, and allowed petitioners associated with both the 11th to 13th JPSC examinations and the Food Safety Officer examination to resume work with immediate effect.
The Hemant Soren government had earlier cancelled 22 recruitment examinations and ordered probes into 23 others conducted since 2014 by the JPSC, Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) and an outsourced agency. The decision followed a 26-day agitation led by the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch over alleged irregularities. Protesters suspended their stir on Wednesday and gave the government two months to address grievances. Meanwhile, around 2,000 successful candidates who cleared the JSSC-CGL examination have separately protested against the cancellations, arguing they should not be penalised for alleged irregularities they were not involved in.
The SIT probing irregularities in the JSSC-CGL examination has questioned 37 suspects. JMM MP Mahua Maji said Chief Minister Soren was hesitant to cancel the exams due to concerns it could harm candidates already appointed. The court's interim order remains in force pending further proceedings.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The high court's stay effectively halts a politically sensitive decision by the Hemant Soren government, which had acted after sustained protests. The case now turns on whether the government can prove systemic irregularities that justify nullifying merit-based selections. The two-month deadline given by protesters to the government sets up a potential confrontation if the court's ruling delays a final decision. The SIT questioning 37 suspects signals that the government may have evidence of malpractice, but the court's intervention suggests it sees a risk of punishing innocent candidates. Watch for the government's counter-affidavit due in 15 days, which will reveal the strength of its case.
The next hearing is expected in 15 days when the government must file its response.
Source: indiatoday.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
