Cabinet Scraps JSSC-CGL Exam: Hemant Soren Cancels 12 Years of TDPL Recruitment Tests Amid Mounting Student Protests

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced the complete cancellation of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination following a marathon four-hour emergency Cabinet meeting late on Monday evening.

The state government also took the unprecedented step of scrapping every recruitment examination, published result, and candidate selection conducted since 2014 by blacklisted testing agency TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL). The sweeping decision comes on the heels of a 24-day agitation by thousands of job aspirants protesting widespread paper leaks and recruitment irregularities across the state.

CID Probe Exposes Deep-Rooted Testing Racket

Speaking to reporters outside the Jharkhand Secretariat in Ranchi, Chief Minister Soren revealed that ongoing investigations by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) uncovered alarming irregularities.

The inquiry found that several candidates appointed through recent competitive tests were subsequently arrested in connection with broader recruitment scams. The Chief Minister indicated that a wider network involving multiple private examination agencies had compromised the integrity of state selection processes over the past decade.

In response, the government ordered the CID to expand its investigation to cover every public examination held between 2014 and 2026. Soren also announced the setup of an examination reforms panel, headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal, to overhaul selection frameworks and draft stringent operational protocols.

Protesters Divided as Selected Candidates Face Sudden Unemployment

The Cabinet’s decision triggered contrasting reactions across Ranchi. Protesting aspirants gathered at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium celebrated the scrapping of the JSSC-CGL exam but insisted their hunger strike would continue until the state hands over the entire investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Meanwhile, severe backlash erupted outside Project Bhavan as candidates who had previously cleared the JSSC-CGL exam and secured government appointments staged a late-night counter-protest. Many expressed outrage after being rendered unemployed overnight despite their appointments receiving prior validation from the courts. Security forces were deployed to maintain order as affected candidates vowed to challenge the Cabinet order in court.