Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday cancelled the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level examination results, 24 days after students began protesting alleged irregularities in the conduct of competitive examinations for government jobs.

Soren also announced the cancellation of all examinations conducted since 2014 by TSR Data Processing Private Limited, a blacklisted agency. An investigation will be conducted into the exams, added the chief minister.

Following the announcement, Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha leader Devendra Nath Mahto ended his hunger strike after 16 days, reported ANI.

However, student leader Ravindra Paswan said that the protest would continue as a key demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the alleged exam irregularities had not been met, reported The Hindu.

“We have won a major battle, but there is still more to be done,” Paswan was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, Soren’s announcement was met with protests from the candidates who had qualified for the now-cancelled exam. A group of them gathered outside the state secretariat and said they should not be made to suffer for alleged irregularities for which they were not responsible, reported The Indian Express.

The protests in Jharkhand began on July 25, inspired by the agitation across the country against the alleged mismanagement of national competitive exams. The protesters have been holding a sit-in at Ranchi’s Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium.

On August 9, the Jharkhand government agreed to cancel three examinations, including the preliminary examination of the 14th state Public Service Commission Combined Civil Services, on the protesters’ demand.

However, students continued their protest, demanding that the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level examination be cancelled as well.

The government had refused to cancel the graduate-level examination, saying that it was conducted under the monitoring of the Supreme Court and the Jharkhand High Court. It had instead proposed a high-level judicial inquiry headed by a retired judge to investigate allegations related to the examination.

After a Cabinet meeting on Monday, Soren said that his government had decided to cancel the examination as the facts emerging from the ongoing investigations were “shocking”.

“Since the investigation is ongoing, it is not possible to disclose every detail openly,” said the chief minister. “The matter involves a complex and interconnected network of various companies that have operated here at different times. The Crime Investigation Department will probe all examinations conducted from 2014 to the present.”

He added that standard operating procedures for conducting competitive examinations had not been followed.

The government has constituted a committee headed by Indian Administrative Service officer Amitabh Kaushal to work on education reforms in consultation with institutions, experts and other stakeholders, said Soren.

He also announced a portal where students, teachers and parents can submit suggestions on examination reforms.

The Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level exam was notified in 2023 for several posts in state government departments. Around 6.4 lakh candidates applied for the regular and backlog exams, reported The Indian Express.

The examination was initially scheduled for January 2024 but was cancelled following allegations of a paper leak. It was eventually held in September 2024, and around 1,975 candidates have since been appointed through the recruitment process.

Written by Sneha. Edited by Sara Varghese.

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