RANCHI, April 28 -- In a high-stakes session held here on Monday, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) concluded hearings of 21 cases, delivering immediate relief to several complainants while issuing stern directives to top state officials over procedural irregularities. The spotlight remained fixed on the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) regarding the PGT teacher (Hindi) Competitive Exam. Petitioner Rupa Kumari, a candidate from a primitive tribe, alleged she was unfairly excluded from the merit list despite successful document verification. While JSSC argued that horizontal reservation rules were followed-claiming a higher-ranked primitive tribe candidate had already occupied the quota by qualifying on general merit-the petitioner countered with alarming statistics. It was alleged that of 163 total posts, the ST quota was short changed by six seats, and the 2% primitive tribe reservation resulted in only one allotment instead of the mandated three. The Commission has scheduled a follow-up hearing to investigate these alleged discrepancies and the controversial appointment of an incumbent teacher through the direct recruitment channel. The hearings began with a swift victory for Malti Devi of Hazaribagh, whose long-standing grievance was resolved in the very first session. In another significant ruling, the Commission settled a dispute brought by Beni Ram Manjhi of Ramgarh. Manjhi had been struggling with land rent determination and receipt issuance for land allotted to him under the historic Bhoodan movement....