India
oi-Swastika Sruti
Amid the ongoing recruitment controversy in Jharkhand, all the three members of the JPSC (Jharkhand Public Service Commission) resigned on Sunday following weeks of protests by students over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
Jharkhand: Three Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) members resigned Sunday amid student protests over alleged recruitment irregularities; the state cancelled the 14th JPSC Preliminary and backlog exams, ordered CID investigations, and established expert committees for reforms.
This move comes amid the state government parallelly announced a series of measures, including cancelling key recruitment examinations, ordering investigations and promising reforms to restore confidence in the recruitment process.
JPSC Members Step Down
The three JPSC members who resigned are:
- Ajita Bhattacharya
- Anima Hansda
- Jamal Ahmed
According to an official statement issued by Lok Bhavan, their resignations have been accepted by Jharkhand Governor Santosh Gangwar.
Government Agrees to Cancel Key Recruitment Exams
Alongside the resignations, the Jharkhand government announced the cancellation of several recruitment examinations.
These include:
- 14th JPSC Preliminary Examination
- JPSC Backlog Recruitment 2023
- JPSC Backlog Recruitment 2025
The government said it would adopt a two-pronged approach to investigate the alleged irregularities while also introducing reforms to improve the examination system.
CID Probe, Fast-Track Courts Announced
After the sixth round of discussions with the protesting students, Education Minister Sudivya Kumar announced several measures.
According to the minister:
The CID will investigate criminal aspects related to the alleged recruitment irregularities.
If financial irregularities are found, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) will be requested to investigate.
- Fast-track courts will be established to hear the cases.
- Authorities aim to file charge sheets within 90 days.
- The government hopes these steps will ensure quicker investigations and legal action against those found guilty.
- Expert Committee to Recommend Reforms
The Jharkhand government also announced that an expert committee would be formed to recommend long-term reforms in the recruitment process.
The committee will include experts from leading institutions such as:
- IIT-ISM
- Indian Institute of Management (IIM)
- XLRI
The panel will examine the recruitment system and suggest measures to improve transparency and prevent future irregularities.
The minister also revealed that the government had proposed appointing a committee headed by a retired judge to monitor the investigation, but the student representatives rejected the suggestion.
