In a significant legal development in Ranchi, the Jharkhand High Court has dismissed the state government's decision to cancel the JSSC CGL recruitment examination. This ruling brings substantial relief to approximately two thousand successful candidates who had been waiting for their appointments for a long period. Justice Deepak Roshan's bench explicitly stated that there was no clear and valid ground visible behind the cancellation of the examination, describing the government's move as a hasty decision.
Challenge Against the Government's Decision
The JSSC CGL examination had been surrounded by prolonged controversy within the state. Amidst continuous protests and demonstrations, the state government had decided to scrap the recruitment advertisement. Challenging this move, the candidates approached the High Court. A total of eight petitions, including those filed by Ramesh Oraon and Neeraj Khes, were heard together. After listening to all parties, the High Court reserved its verdict on October 8, which has now been delivered in favor of the petitioners by setting aside the government order.
Lack of Solid Grounds for Cancellation
During the proceedings, the High Court observed that the decision to scrap the JSSC CGL examination was premature. The bench also pointed out that the counter-affidavit filed by the government did not align with the action taken. According to the court, scrapping an entire examination based on allegations of irregularities is unjustified, especially when no concrete evidence or solid basis has been presented to support such a sweeping move.
Identifying Tainted Candidates is Feasible
Making a crucial observation, the bench noted that it is not impossible to identify tainted candidates who might have been involved in malpractices. If specific individuals are accused of wrongdoing, they can be singled out and penalized accordingly. Halting the appointment process for all successful candidates or canceling the entire exam was deemed unnecessary. Furthermore, the court remarked that the state government cannot take any decision contrary to this judicial ruling, raising questions during the hearings on whether the cancellation order was issued under pressure from public protests.
