The Jharkhand government has cancelled the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination and all recruitment conducted through the Technical Development and Planning Limited (TDPL), Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced on Monday.
Soren also announced that the CID would investigate all examinations conducted by TDPL since 2014, while a separate inquiry into the alleged irregularities would be conducted by a committee headed by a retired judge.
The results published by TDPL will also be cancelled, the Chief Minister said. The announcement came after talks between the government and protesting students remained inconclusive in the previous round of discussions.
“All the exams conducted by TDPL and publication of results by TDPL are now cancelled. Examinations and recruitment conducted through TDPL stand cancelled,” Soren said.
Soren Assures Students Of Action
Soren said the government was taking the concerns raised by protesting students seriously and remained committed to addressing their demands.
“For the last 24 days, students have been agitating. The minister's panel has attempted to address the issues of protestors,” he said, adding that several of their demands had already been accepted.
CID Probe Into Exams Since 2014
Soren said CID and SIT investigations had uncovered several “incriminating facts”. He also said people recruited through the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission were being arrested in connection with alleged examination fraud and rigging.
“All exams conducted from 2014 will be investigated by CID,” Soren said.
He added that the government had already enacted a law against paper leaks in the interest of students and was committed to introducing further reforms to ensure transparency.
Soren Says Exam SOPs Were Not Followed
The Chief Minister said the government already had a standard operating procedure (SOP) for conducting examinations, but it had not been properly followed.
“We already have the SOP. But the SOPs were not abided by. That's why irregularities were seen in exams conducted in the recent past,” he said.
Soren said the government would work towards reforming the examination system in a transparent manner.
Amitabh Kaushal To Lead Reform Initiative
The government has also created a portal to receive grievances from students. Complaints submitted through the portal will be shared with the expert team examining the issue.
Soren announced that Amitabh Kaushal would lead the government's examination reform initiative.
The Chief Minister said the government had held discussions with protesting students and was aware of the concerns they had raised. He reiterated that the government was committed to resolving the issues and strengthening the examination and recruitment system.