Ranchi: The Jharkhand government’s decision to cancel the JSSC-CGL 2024 examination and other state recruitment tests has triggered contrasting reactions, with protesting students welcoming the move while nearly 2,000 candidates selected through the CGL exam fearing the loss of their jobs.
The decision by the Hemant Soren-led government came after weeks of protests by students who had demanded the cancellation of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination and other recruitment tests conducted through external agency TSR Data Processing Pvt Ltd (TDPL). The protesters had alleged irregularities in the examination process.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
However, the cancellation has left successful candidates distressed, as they now face uncertainty over their appointments and careers.
Among those protesting outside the Jharkhand Secretariat in Ranchi was Raghuvendra, a candidate from Chatra who had cleared the JSSC-CGL examination and secured a post in the Secretariat.
“It was the Chief Minister himself who handed me my appointment letter, and now he is the one who has taken my job away,” he told NDTV, speaking amid heavy rain.
Raghuvendra had earlier worked as a Social Science teacher in Gaya, Bihar. He said he initially had reservations about joining the government post but decided to accept the appointment after the Supreme Court’s January 5, 2026, ruling against cancellation of the recruitment.
He resigned from his teaching job on January 8 after deciding to join the Secretariat.
“I have now crossed the age limit for recruitment exams. Had the government cancelled it earlier, I wouldn’t have joined in the first place. Now, I am left with nothing — neither here nor there,” he said.
The government’s decision has therefore placed the successful candidates in a difficult position, even as student groups continue to press for action over alleged irregularities in the recruitment examinations.
The contrasting reactions highlight the dilemma surrounding the cancellation: while protesting students see it as a victory in their demand for accountability, candidates who were already selected and appointed fear that years of preparation and their current employment could be wiped out.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
