Jharkhand student leaders accuse Hemant Soren govt of 'deceit' after HC stays JPSC appointment cancellations

Student leaders in Jharkhand have accused the Hemant Soren-led government of deceit following a stay by the Jharkhand High Court on its decision to cancel appointments made through the 11th and 13th JPSC examinations. The leaders claim the government accepted their demands and announced the cancellation of the exams and an investigation, but failed to defend its decision before the court.

The High Court stayed the operation of government notifications cancelling the appointments on Thursday and also stayed the order cancelling food safety officers' appointments. The court asked the state to file its reply by September 15. Students selected through the 11th and 13th JPSC examinations whose appointments were affected by the government's notifications will continue to hold their posts.

However, if any foul play is found during the investigation, the individuals could lose their service. Student leaders, including Ravindra Paswan, Devendra Nath Mahto, and Piyush Kumar, accused the government of deceiving students and questioned the representation of their case before the high court, alleging that the lawyer did not make any submission.

The student agitation began due to allegations of paper leaks and irregularities in Jharkhand's recruitment examinations, which lasted for 25 days. The government cancelled 22 exams and ordered an investigation into 23 others conducted since 2014.