Jharkhand HC directs govt to appoint JPSC chairman, members in 2 months
The Jharkhand High Court has directed the state government to appoint the Chairman and Members of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) within two months. Earlier, Advocate General Rohit Rai and Vibhor Mayank, representing the government, informed the court that the appointment process for the JPSC Chairman and Members is likely to be completed within two months. Following this, the court directed the government to submit a compliance report by November 18 and scheduled the next hearing for November 19.
In the previous hearing, the court had asked the government for a timeline to complete the appointments of the Chairman and Members in the JPSC.
The directive was issued by a division bench comprising Chief Justice M.S. Sonak and Justice Rajesh Shankar during the hearing of a suo motu public interest litigation concerning the shortage of officers and staff in the state Forest Department.
During an earlier hearing, the High Court had asked the government to specify a clear timeline for filling the vacant posts of Chairman and members in the commission.
During the proceedings, counsel for JPSC, Sanjay Piperwal, informed the bench that the examination process for the posts of Assistant Conservator of Forest and Range Forest Officer had been cancelled.
The court sought necessary updates from the parties concerned and stressed that the appointment process for the commission’s top posts and members should be completed within a defined timeframe.
JPSC conducts competitive examinations for recruitment to various government services in Jharkhand. As the posts of Chairman and members are crucial to the functioning of the commission, vacancies in these positions directly affect its operations and recruitment activities.
Following the court’s direction, the state government is now required to complete the appointment process within the stipulated period and apprise the court of its status through the compliance report.
Job aspirants in Jharkhand recently staged a protest for 26 days against large-scale irregularities in various examinations conducted by the JPSC and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
Job aspirants and students suspended the agitation after the Hemant Soren-led government assured them that the government will consider their demands in two months.
The Supreme Court Collegium has given its approval for the appointment of three Judicial Officers as judges of the Jharkhand High Court. The decision was taken during the Collegium meeting held on September 10, 2026.
The Judicial Officers whose names have been recommended for appointment are Manoj Prasad, Akhil Kumar and Ram Sharma. The appointments are expected to strengthen the judicial strength of the Jharkhand High Court. The formal appointment of the three officers will take effect after completion of the prescribed process and other necessary formalities.
