Ranchi, Aug. 17 -- Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday announced the cancellation of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination and all recruitment tests conducted by outsourced agency TSR Data Processing Pvt Ltd (TDPL) since 2014, as protests over alleged irregularities entered their 24th day.
The decision was taken at a marathon cabinet meeting chaired by Soren. He said the government would also cancel the results published by TDPL.
"The government has decided to cancel the JSSC-CGL exam, which was one of the major demands of the protesting students," Soren said after the
meeting. The chief minister also announced an examination reforms committee headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal. He said the government was concerned about the agitation and had already enacted the Jharkhand Competitive Examination Prevention and Redressal of Unfair Means in Recruitment Act to address irregularities.
Soren said the probe by the CID and a special investigation team had uncovered "several surprising factors" that could not be disclosed at present. He also alleged that several companies operating in Jharkhand appeared to be involved in a major examination racket.
The JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, however, said the agitation would continue until the demand for a CBI probe was accepted. Candidates who cleared the JSSC-CGL and obtained government jobs also protested outside the Jharkhand Secretariat, claiming that about 2,000 employees could lose their jobs following the cancellation.
The agitation has been marked by hunger strikes, with six protesters continuing their fast on Monday. Devendra Mahto, who has been on hunger strike for 16 days over the alleged irregularities, said he would soon end his fast.
The protesters have been demanding a CBI investigation into recruitment examination irregularities and cancellation of the JSSC-CGL exam.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.