22 exams cancelled, 6 on hold, 17 under enquiry: Jharkhand govt’s olive branch to protesting students

Jharkhand govt also announced examination reforms after Ranchi protests, including fast-track court to deal with JPSC/JSSC irregularities and an internal monitoring cell.

A protester holding a placard at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi on 6 August, 2026 | Anisha Nehra/ThePrint

New Delhi: In an effort to extend an olive branch to students protesting over alleged irregularities in recruitment exams, the Jharkhand government cancelled 22 past exams, kept six examinations on hold, and placed 17 exams under CID inquiry through multiple notifications issued Tuesday.

Of the 22 cancelled exams, advertised between 2023 and 2026, 19 have been cancelled “in light of the complaint of irregularities in the current examinations conducted by Jharkhand Public Service Commission and conducted through TDPL”.

Two exams were cancelled because they were partially conducted by TDPL or other controversial agencies.

The Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL), which was a bone of contention between students and the government, was also cancelled.

The notification said that six exams, advertised between 2024 and 2025, are on hold.

Although the preliminary work in these examinations was done by an agency other than TDPL, the state government has handed over verification of the agency’s credentials to the Crime Investigation Department (CID) in light of the findings presented to the government by the CID during the investigation of various irregularities in JPSC.

Seventeen exams, advertised between 2010 and 2022, have been put under the CID scanner to investigate “possible irregularities”.

Ranchi’s Jaipal Singh Munda stadium erupted in joy late Monday night after Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination and all exams conducted by TDPL.

Student leader and part of the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha party, Devendra Nath Mahato, ended his hunger strike in the presence of Jharkhand Ministers Dipika Pandey Singh and Irfan Ansari at the Sadar Hospital. Two more students—Rahul Kranti and Umme Habiba—also ended their hunger strike.

However, the protesting students had announced that they would wait for official notifications of the withdrawal to make a decision on whether they would continue their protest or not.

Exam reforms

The Jharkhand government has also issued a notification on examination reforms.

The notification says, “In the light of complaints received regarding irregularities in the current and previous examinations conducted by Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), in the course of investigation by CID/SIT, in the light of facts brought before the government and suggestions received through various mediums, a situation has arisen for examination reforms.”

It said the Council of Ministers had, therefore, decided that the high court would be requested to constitute a fast-track court for hearing the case registered regarding irregularities and misconduct in JPSC/JSSC. Additionally, an internal Monitoring Cell will be constituted in JPSC/JSSC.

A committee will also be formed under the chairmanship of IAS Amitabh Kaushal to comprehensively study examination reforms in the JPSC/JSSC, with the director of a prestigious institution as a member, along with other officials. This committee has to submit its report to the government within the next two months.

Cancelled exams:

1. Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC CGL) (Adv. no. 10/2023)
2. Recruitment of Non-Teaching Posts in Universities of Jharkhand (Advt no. 09/25)
3. Recruitment of Assistant Director/Senior Scientific Officer (Backlog) (Advt. no. 10/2025)
4. Recruitment of Assistant Director/Senior Scientific Officer (Regular) (Advt. no. 11/2025)
5. Recruitment of Drug Inspector (Advt. no.-12/2025)
6. Recruitment of Assistant Professor in Government Engineering colleges (Backlog) (Advt. no.-02/2026)
7. Recruitment of Lecturer in Govt. Polytechnic/Govt. Women’s Polytechnic (Backlog) (Advt. no.-03/2026)
8. Recruitment of Lecturer in Govt. Polytechnic/Govt. Women’s Polytechnic (Regular) (Advt. no.-04/2026)
9. Recruitment of Assistant Professor in Medical Colleges (Super Specialist) Department (Advt. no.-07/2026)
10. Recruitment of Civil Judge (Junior Division) (Advt. no.-22/2023)
11. Recruitment of Assistant Conservator of Forest (Advt. no.-03/2024)
12. Recruitment of Forest Range Officer (Advt. no.-04/2024)
13. Recruitment of Assistant Public Prosecutor (Backlog) (Advt. no.-05/2025)
14. Recruitment of Assistant Public Prosecutor (Regular) (Advt. no.-06/2025)
15. Recruitment of Jharkhand Combined Civil Services Examination-2025 (Advt. no.-01/2026)
16. Recruitment of Jharkhand Combined Civil Services Examination (Backlog)-2025 (Advt. no.-05/2026)
17. Recruitment of Jharkhand Combined Civil Services Examination (Backlog)-2023 (Advt. No.-06/2026)
18. Recruitment of Food Safety Officer (Advt. no.-18/2023)
19. Recruitment of Child Development Project Officer (Advt. no.-21/2023)
20. Recruitment of Combined Civil Services Examination-2023 (Advt. no.01/2024)
21. Recruitment of 6th limited Deputy Collector (Advt. no.11/2018)
22. Jharkhand Eligibility Test 2024 (Advt. no. 08/2025)

Exams kept on hold:

1. Recruitment of Food Analyst (Advt. no.-05/2024)
2. Recruitment of Deputy Director, Prosecution (Advt. no. 03/2025)
3. Recruitment of Project Manager and equivalent (Advt. no. 04/2025)
4. Recruitment of Inspector of Factories (Advt. no.-01/2025)
5. Recruitment of Boiler Inspector (Advt. no. 02/2025)
6. Recruitment of Director (Advt. no.-07/2025)

Exams under CID scanner:

1. 5th Combined Civil Services Recruitment (Advt no. 06/2013)
2. Civil Judge (Junior Division) Recruitment (Advt. no. 10/2015)
3. Civil Judge (Junior Division) Special Recruitment (Advt. no. 11/2015)
4. Soil Conservation Officer Recruitment (Advt. no. 12/2015)
5. Assistant Director Agriculture/Sub Divisional Agriculture Officer and Equivalent Recruitment (Advt no. 03/2015)
6. Assistant Director Agriculture/Sub Divisional Agriculture Officer and Equivalent(Backlog) Recruitment (Advt no. 04/2015)
7. Food Safety Officer Recruitment (Advt. no. 01/2016)
8. Dentist (Basic Cadre) (Advt. no. 02/2016)
9. Combined Civil Services Examination (Backlog) recruitment (Advt. no. 27/2017)
10. Commercial Taxes (Limited) Examination (Advt. no. 10/2010)
11. Combined Civil Services Examination-2016 (Advt no. 23/2016)
12. Recruitment of Geologists and Chemists Under Directorate of Geology (Regular) (Advt. no. 01/2017 and 02/2017)
13. Recruitment of Assistant Public Prosecutor (Advt. no. 03/2018)
14. Civil Judge (Junior Division) Regular (Advt. no. 12/2018)
15. Recruitment of Combined Assistant Engineer (Regular) (Advt. no. 05/2019)
16. Combined Civil Services Examination-2021 (Advt. no. 01/2021)
17. Recruitment of Dental Doctors (Regular), Advt. no. 01/2022)