Ranchi: Ahead of Diwali, Jharkhand high court’s verdict upholding the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) recruitment examinations brought a sense of relief to recruits and their families, ending months of uncertainty over jobs they had secured after years of preparation.The court, however, made it clear that the relief would not come at the cost of accountability. It directed the state govt to continue its probe into alleged irregularities in the examinations and take action, after due process, against candidates found guilty of wrongdoing. At the same time, it rejected the demand for blanket cancellation of the recruitment exercise.Members of the JSSC-CGL batch welcomed the judgment, calling it a victory for “hard work, perseverance and truth”. In a statement issued after the verdict, they thanked the judiciary for the “historic judgment” and said they were committed to serving Jharkhand with honesty.“We thank the judiciary for the historic judgment. We are committed to serving the state with honesty,” the group said.The order, however, did little to calm the agitation against the recruitment process. JPSC-JSSC Reform Manch, one of the groups that spearheaded a month-long protest demanding cancellation of the examination and structural changes in recruitment, rejected the verdict.Speaking during a social media live session, outfit functionary Kunal Pratap said the outcome was expected “the way things were rushed”. He added that the group would continue its fight through “various means”, asserting that justice would ultimately be delivered.The verdict comes against the backdrop of an ongoing CID investigation into alleged irregularities in examinations conducted by Jharkhand Public Service Commission and JSSC. Since Aug, the agency has arrested more than two dozen people, including former JPSC chairperson L Khiangte.The probe is yet to reach its logical conclusion, leaving the controversy far from over.
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