Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren open to cancelling 14th JPSC prelims, backlog exams

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the government is ready to cancel the 14th JPSC Preliminary Examination and backlog exams amid student protests. He announced investigations into examinations conducted by TDPL and proposed consulting IITs and IIMs to reform recruitment processes

Ranchi: Amid the ongoing students’ agitation over JPSC and JSSC recruitment examinations in Jharkhand, Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday clarified the government’s stand in the Assembly, expressing its readiness to cancel the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) Preliminary Examination and the backlog examinations.

He also announced that examinations linked to TDPL, responsible for conducting JPSC exams, would be investigated, while experts from premier institutions such as the IITs and IIMs would be consulted to reform the recruitment examination system.

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During his address in the Assembly, the Chief Minister launched attack on the opposition, accusing it of attempting to derive political mileage from the student movement. He alleged that BJP leaders were using the guise of student activism to serve political interests and mislead young aspirants.

According to Soren, the opposition was playing with the future of students instead of supporting a fair resolution of their concerns. The Assembly witnessed continuous sloganeering and protests by opposition members throughout the Chief Minister’s speech.

Responding to the disruption, Soren said those who speak about safeguarding democracy were themselves undermining the dignity of the House. He asserted that the government had already taken a decision on the examination-related issues and would continue to move forward with its plans regardless of opposition protests.

Raising questions over TDPL, the agency that conducted the examinations, Soren said the company was based in Uttar Pradesh and had links with Bihar. He alleged that such agencies had been allowed to compromise the future of Jharkhand’s youth.

The Chief Minister reiterated that the government would not hesitate to order investigations into examinations that had attracted complaints, allegations, and suspicions.

He further said the government was committed to making the recruitment process more transparent, credible and secure. To achieve this, technical and academic guidance would be sought from leading national institutions, including IITs and IIMs. The proposed reforms, he added, would help strengthen and modernise the examination system.

Referring to Monday’s Assembly march by students, Soren said the administration and police had acted with restraint during the protest.

He noted that security restrictions are routinely enforced around constitutional institutions such as the Assembly, Parliament, and Legislative Councils, yet demonstrators managed to reach close to the Assembly premises.

Accusing the opposition of misleading students, Soren said certain groups were attempting to confuse young people by operating under different identities and platforms.

He also alleged that the opposition was trying to prevent the investigation process from reaching its logical conclusion. The government, he maintained, was focused on resolving students’ grievances and ensuring justice.

In a political swipe at the BJP, the Chief Minister quoted lines from a poem, suggesting that the opposition’s political decline was far from over. He remarked that “there is still room for further decline”, adding that the process had only just begun.