Employee in morning, protester by evening: Meet those rendered jobless by Jharkhand call to scrap exam

Monday evening brought chaos to Ranchi as heavy rain fell and protesters gathered outside the Jharkhand Mantralaya. Among them was Roshan Kumar, a 30-year-old Assistant Section Officer who was suddenly rendered jobless after the government canceled the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission — Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination.

Roshan, who had joined the government in January after a legal battle over the exam, was now unsure of his future. His father, a small paan shop owner, and his mother, a para-teacher, depended on Roshan's salary. Chanda Kumari, a 32-year-old Junior Secretariat Assistant, was also protesting. Like Roshan, Chanda had cleared the JSSC-CGL and the Forest Range Officer (FRO) examination but was now left without a job.

The government's decision to cancel the exam, despite its cancellation being demanded by the protesters, has left at least 2,000 people in uncertainty. The cancellation, which sparked protests in Ranchi, highlights the precarious situation of government employees who rely on exam results for their livelihoods.