Hundreds of government-job aspirants have been protesting in Ranchi for over two weeks, demanding action over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
The protest began over allegations surrounding the 14th JPSC Combined Civil Services examination, but has since expanded into a larger movement demanding transparency and reform in the state’s recruitment system.
The Jharkhand government has now agreed to cancel the 14th JPSC preliminary examination and two backlog examinations. Three JPSC members have also resigned. But students say they will not call off the agitation until their demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged irregularities, particularly the Jharkhand General Graduate Level Combined Competitive examination, commonly known as JSSC-CGL, is accepted.
On Monday, August 10, students began marching towards the Jharkhand Assembly as part of a ‘Vidhan Sabha Gherao’. The march comes after the sixth round of talks between the government and student representatives failed to break the deadlock.
What caused the protest?
The immediate trigger is the controversy surrounding the 14th JPSC Combined Civil Services examination.
The JPSC had advertised 103 vacancies for the examination. After the preliminary examination was held on April 19, 2026, 2,204 candidates were shortlisted for the Mains.
Candidates subsequently raised questions about the transparency of the results, including the absence of category-wise cut-off marks and concerns about the merit list.
An OMR answer sheet, purportedly belonging to a shortlisted candidate, circulated widely on social media, showed the person had attempted only 48 questions. The authenticity of the document has not been independently established.
The state government subsequently constituted an investigation through the Crime Investigation Department (CID). The probe has widened, with arrests of people linked to the alleged irregularities. Former JPSC chairman L Khiangte resigned in July.
But students say the problem goes beyond the 14th JPSC examination.
They have demanded a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities in several recruitment examinations, including the JSSC -CGL examination, and want those responsible to be punished.
Why are students talking about a much bigger recruitment crisis?
For the protesters, the current controversy is the latest episode in a recruitment system they say has been plagued by delays and allegations of irregularities for years.
Jharkhand was created in 2000, but the JPSC Combined Civil Services examination is only the 14th recruitment cycle. Students point out that the examinations have not been conducted annually as expected.
Vacancies from multiple years have frequently been clubbed together.
For instance, vacancies from 2017 to 2020 were combined into the 7th to 10th JPSC Combined Civil Services examination, which was conducted in 2021. The 11th, 12th and 13th recruitments were similarly clubbed together, with the examination conducted in 2024.
This means that a delay in one recruitment cycle can have a cascading effect on subsequent examinations.
For aspirants, the consequences are not merely administrative. Years spent preparing for government examinations can mean losing attempts or even becoming ineligible because of age limits while waiting for recruitment to happen.
Has this happened before?
Yes. One of the earliest major controversies dates back to 2003, when the History paper of the first JPSC Civil Services examination was leaked. The examination was subsequently cancelled and held again the following year.
There have been other controversies since then.
In 2024, the CBI filed a chargesheet against 50 people in connection with alleged irregularities in an earlier JPSC recruitment process. Those charges included allegations of favouritism in the selection process.
Recruitment has also frequently taken years to conclude.
The 6th JPSC Combined Civil Services examination, for example, began in December 2016, but its final result was declared only in April 2020. That result was subsequently revised following a Jharkhand High Court order, with the revised result published in March 2022.
Students therefore argue that the present agitation cannot be viewed simply as a protest over one examination.
What happened with the JSSC-CGL exam?
The JSSC Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examination conducted in 2024 became another major point of contention.
The examination was hit by allegations that questions from one shift had circulated on WhatsApp before the test. The paper was cancelled and subsequently conducted again.
Even after the re-examination, candidates continued to raise allegations of irregularities. The matter led to protests, a CID investigation and litigation before the Jharkhand High Court.
The recruitment process subsequently moved forward, but the episode further damaged candidates’ confidence in the examination system.
The current protesters are demanding cancellation of CGL results, the government has refused arguing that the process was conducted under the monitoring of the Supreme Court and Jharkhand High Court and that several selected candidates have already joined their posts.
The government has instead proposed a judicial inquiry headed by a retired judge. It has also said that the CID will investigate criminal aspects and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) will examine possible financial irregularities.
What are the students demanding?
The demands have expanded beyond cancellation of a single examination.
The protesters are seeking:
A CBI investigation into alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC examinations.
Cancellation of the 14th JPSC preliminary examination.
Cancellation/review of examinations allegedly conducted through private agencies, particularly TSR Data Processing Pvt Ltd (TDPL).
Cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination/result.
Action against officials and others found responsible.
Publication of investigation reports.
Greater transparency in recruitment examinations.
Publication of category-wise cut-offs, answer keys, evaluation details and merit lists.
Reforms in the functioning of JPSC and JSSC.
A ‘not attempted’ option as the fifth choice on OMR sheets.
Withdrawal of cases against and revocation of the suspension of whistleblower Santosh Kumar Mastana.
Time-bound recruitment and measures to prevent future paper leaks and examination irregularities.
Why are private testing agencies also under scrutiny?
Another major issue raised by the students is the outsourcing of examination-related work.
The role of TSR Data Processing Pvt Ltd (TDPL) has come under scrutiny in the ongoing investigation.
Students have demanded that examinations conducted through the agency be reviewed. The government has said it will investigate examinations associated with TDPL and another accused, Abhay Tiwari.
Tiwari, a Block Supply Officer in Godda, was arrested earlier this month in connection with the recruitment-related case. Investigators allege that he was simultaneously working as the marketing manager of TDPL, the private agency associated with conducting the examination.
The students' concern is therefore not simply about whether an individual examination was compromised, but about who controls sensitive stages of government recruitment and how those agencies are monitored.
What has the Jharkhand government agreed to?
After several rounds of talks, the government on Sunday agreed to several of the students’ demands.
It agreed to cancel:
The 14th JPSC Combined Civil Services preliminary examination;
The 2023 JPSC backlog examination; and
The 2025 JPSC backlog examination.
The government also agreed to involve the ED in examining financial irregularities and proposed a judicial inquiry headed by a retired judge into the CGL-related allegations.
It has proposed long-term reforms in JPSC and JSSC, including seeking assistance from institutions such as IIMs and XLRI. It also announced a portal to collect feedback from students and help formulate standard operating procedures for future examinations.
The government says it has accepted about 98% of the students' demands. But that has not ended the protest.
So, what is the sticking point?
The biggest disagreement is over the CBI investigation and the JSSC-CGL examination. Students want an independent CBI probe and cancellation of the CGL examination/result. The government says a judicial inquiry can investigate the allegations and that the CID and ED can examine criminal and financial aspects respectively. The government has also argued that cancelling the CGL results would be legally complicated because the examination was conducted under judicial monitoring and some selected candidates have already joined government posts.
Students, however, say they have already provided evidence of alleged irregularities and do not trust a State-level investigation to address the problem.
That is why, even after the cancellation of the three JPSC examinations, the movement continues.
What happened to the JPSC leadership?
The protest has already resulted in changes at the top of the JPSC.
Former chairman L Khiangte resigned on July 22.
On Sunday, August 9, the Governor accepted the resignations of the remaining three JPSC members — Ajita Bhattacharya, Anima Hansda and Jamal Ahmed — following recommendations from the State government.
Their resignations came after the Jharkhand CID summoned them in connection with allegations of irregularities, including the alleged paper leak.