RANCHI — In a major administrative crackdown following widespread student protests, the Jharkhand cabinet has taken the unprecedented step of cancelling all public recruitment examinations conducted by private vendor TSR Data Processing Pvt Ltd (TDPL) since 2014.
The decision strips away a decade’s worth of recruitment drives managed by the agency, impacting thousands of job seekers across the state. The widespread cancellation directly targets two of the state’s largest competitive recruitment drives: the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) Combined Graduate Level (CGL) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) CGL examinations.
Outlining the government’s stance after the cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced a five-point roadmap designed to clean up state recruitment systems:
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Complete Annulment of TDPL-Linked Drives: Every recruitment process and exam managed by TDPL dating back to 2014 has been rendered null and void.
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Scrapping of JPSC & JSSC CGL Tests: Key competitive selection tests conducted under JPSC and JSSC CGL frameworks stand officially cancelled.
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Statewide CID Investigation: The Crime Investigation Department (CID) has been ordered to launch an extensive probe into all examinations held in Jharkhand since 2014 to unearth potential fraud, paper leaks, or operational malpractices.
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High-Level Reform Panel Formed: A specialized recruitment reform committee chaired by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal has been established to restructure examination procedures and vendor selection standards.
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Anti-Paper Leak Law on the Anvil: To address mounting student grievances, the state government pledged to introduce stringent legislation aimed at curbing exam irregularities and protecting candidate rights.
The drastic measure comes after weeks of intensifying demonstrations by student organizations demanding an overhaul of the state’s examination machinery amid persistent allegations of paper leaks and procedural failures.
