Jharkhand JSSC-CGL exam cancelled: CM Hemant Soren accepts students’ demands

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday announced the cancellation of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination, accepting the key demands of protesting students who have raised concerns over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations. The state cabinet also decided to cancel all examinations conducted since 2014 by outsourced agency TSR Data Processing Pvt Ltd (TDPL).

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said several companies operating in the state appeared to be involved in a major examination racket.

Further Activist Devendra Mahto ended his hunger strike after CM Hemant Soren announced the cancellation of JSSC-CGL exam on Monday (17 August).

CM Soren said the government was concerned about the ongoing student protests and had taken steps to address their grievances. He also said the state had introduced strong legislation aimed at protecting students' interests. "Addressing all aspects of the issue, we have decided to cancel everything associated with TDPL—including the examinations conducted, the results published, the candidate

The Jharkhand chief minister also announced a comprehensive inquiry into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted since 2014. The decision comes amid sustained protests by students demanding action over the examination process and greater accountability in recruitment conducted through the outsourced agency.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the investigation into alleged examination irregularities had uncovered several surprising factors, but these could not be disclosed at this stage as the probe was still underway.

The Jharkhand government will also constitute an examination reforms committee headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal, Soren said. The committee will examine the recruitment examination process and recommend measures to strengthen transparency and prevent irregularities.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren also said the state government may convene a special session of the Assembly to discuss the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill.

Rahul urges Soren to meet students' representatives, resolve issue

Earlier in the day, it was reported that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has written to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, urging him to personally meet representatives of protesting students and take appropriate action towards the resolution of the issue.

Gandhi said the students' protest had been peaceful and their demands legitimate, while asserting that the youth of India was its future and "we owe them our solidarity and support at this moment of crisis".

The Congress is part of the ruling JMM-led government in Jharkhand.

In his letter to Soren dated August 14, Gandhi said that the Congress party believes that the right to peaceful protest as enshrined in the Constitution of India is one of the central pillars of India's democracy.

"We have, therefore, offered our full support to students protesting paper leaks and irregularities in the education system over the last few months," the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha said.

(This is a developing story. Please come back for more updates)