Jharkhand: All 3 JPSC members resign amid protests over paper leaks

All three members of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) resigned on Sunday amid mounting protests over alleged irregularities, including paper leaks, in recruitment examinations conducted by the commission.

Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar accepted the resignations of Ajeeta Bhattacharya, Anima Hansda and Jamal Ahmad, according to a statement issued by the Lok Bhavan.

The resignations came after the CID summoned the three commission members for questioning in connection with the allegations. Bhattacharya is scheduled to be questioned on August 10, Ahmad on August 12 and Hansda on August 14, officials said.

Bhattacharya, who is the wife of JMM leader Supriyo Bhattacharya, Hansda and Ahmad were appointed as JPSC members in September 2021.

The development comes as students and job aspirants have been protesting in Ranchi over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations and demanding accountability from the commission and the state government.

The agitation has included an indefinite sit-in and hunger strikes, with protesters demanding cancellation of the 14th JPSC preliminary examination and an independent probe into alleged irregularities in recruitment tests.

Protesters have also sought reforms in the JPSC and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) examination systems and demanded that alleged paper leaks and other procedural lapses be investigated.

The resignations of all three JPSC members follow that of commission chairperson L Khiangte, who tendered his resignation on July 22.

Khiangte, a former chief secretary, has been questioned by the CID four times since July 28 as part of the investigation into the alleged irregularities.

The CID has so far arrested 19 people in connection with the alleged irregularities in JPSC examinations, officials said.

The investigation and the protests have put the recruitment process under increasing scrutiny, with student groups maintaining that irregularities in competitive examinations undermine the prospects of job aspirants who spend years preparing for government recruitment tests.

The state government has said it is taking the concerns of protesting students seriously and that investigative agencies are pursuing those responsible for the alleged irregularities.