Ranchi, 18 August (H.S.): In a major move on the 24th day of the students’ agitation, the Jharkhand government on Monday decided to cancel all examinations conducted by TDPL for the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). The decision was taken at a special Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren. In addition, the state government decided to cancel the CGL examination conducted by the JSSC.

Addressing the media after the meeting, Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the Cabinet had also decided to cancel the 14th JPSC Preliminary Examination, along with the 2023 and 2025 backlog examinations. He said the government stood with the students and had taken the decision after considering their demands.

Soren said that reports submitted so far by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which were constituted to probe the CGL examination, had indicated possible irregularities. He added that a candidate caught in connection with the JPSC Preliminary Examination was also found to have a role in the CGL examination. In view of these developments, the government decided to cancel the CGL examination as well.

The state government has constituted a committee headed by IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal to undertake reforms in the functioning of the JPSC and JSSC. Chief Minister Soren said a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was already in place and such a situation could have been avoided had it been properly followed. The government has also invited suggestions from the public for further reforms, which will be incorporated at a later stage.

The Chief Minister said the state government had decided to investigate all examinations conducted from 2014 onwards and action in this regard was already underway. At the request of the protesting students, a committee of ministers constituted by the government had held several rounds of discussions in recent days. During these meetings, a proposal was also discussed to have the CGL and other examinations investigated by a retired High Court judge, but no consensus could be reached. The Cabinet subsequently decided to cancel the CGL examination.

Soren also announced that the state government would soon convene a special session of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly over amendments made by the Central government to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act. He said the amendments had taken away the state’s power to levy a cess on minerals and that a separate discussion would be held on the issue.

Examinations conducted by TDPL include:

1. 14th JPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination

2. Jharkhand Eligibility Test (JET)

3. Assistant Public Prosecutor Examination

4. Inspector of Factories Examination

5. Civil Judge (Junior Division) Examination

6. Jharkhand Forest Guard Competitive Examination

7. Jharkhand PGT Examination

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar