Jharkhand High Court Stays Cancellation of Recruitment Exams

The Jharkhand High Court stayed government notifications on August 21, 2026, that cancelled the appointments of Child Development Project Officers and recruits from the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level examination. This follows an August 19 court order staying the cancellation of the 11th and 13th Jharkhand Public Service Commission exams.

Hemant Soren, the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, had previously announced the cancellation of 44 government recruitment examinations on August 17. This decision followed a 25-day student agitation that began July 25 at the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi. Protesters alleged paper leaks and corruption within the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission and the Jharkhand Public Service Commission, leading to a hunger strike by activist Devendra Singh Mahato and a foiled march on the state Assembly.

While government officials, including Minister Irfan Ansari, initially denied any leaks, the administration eventually cancelled 22 examinations and ordered probes into 23 others conducted since 2014. The scandal resulted in the resignation of three commission members and the August 10 arrest of Jharkhand Public Service Commission Chairman L Khiangte for irregularities involving a blacklisted private organization. Soren stated that all mistakes, regardless of who committed them, would be inquired into.