Jharkhand HC stays cancellation of JPSC appointments, offers relief to 450 candidates

**Ranchi, Aug 20:** The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday stayed the government's decision to cancel appointments made through the 11th and 13th Jharkhand Public Service Commission examinations, providing relief to around 450 candidates who faced the prospect of losing their jobs.

Justice Deepak Roshan also stayed the order cancelling the appointments of food safety officers while hearing a batch of petitions challenging the government notifications.

The court directed the state government to file its response by September 15, when the matter will be taken up again.

Following the order, employees selected through the 11th and 13th JPSC examinations who were affected by the cancellation notifications can continue in their respective posts, the court said.

The development comes amid a 25-day agitation by students over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations in Jharkhand. The JMM-led government had on the night of August 18 cancelled 22 examinations and ordered an investigation into 23 others conducted since 2014.

The court, however, made it clear that the stay would not protect anyone found to have secured an appointment through foul play. If an investigation establishes irregularities in an individual's appointment, the candidate will face the consequences and lose the service.

The final status of the appointments will be determined after the investigation is completed and the case is decided, the court said.

The courtroom was packed when Justice Roshan took up the matter at 3.30 pm, with lawyers, government employees and candidates affected by the notifications attending the hearing.

Advocate Amritansh Vats, representing the petitioners, said the court had prima facie stayed the notifications cancelling appointments made through the 11th and 13th JPSC examinations as well as the order concerning food safety officers.

He said the court had observed that the cancellation orders violated the principle of natural justice.

The order also triggered celebrations outside the state Secretariat, particularly among the 54 candidates selected as Food Safety Officers who had been waiting for clarity after the cancellation of their examination.

Aniket Dwivedi, posted as Food Safety Officer in Simdega, said the candidates were grateful to the court after working hard to secure their appointments. He said he had resigned from his post as Agriculture Development Officer in the Haryana government to join the service in his native state.

“We will join duty from tomorrow. Injustice will not be tolerated,” said Rohit Kumar, posted as Food Safety Officer in Garhwa.

Another candidate, Anjali Nibha Minz, said, “Finally, we got relief. We will be joining our duties from Friday at our respective places of posting.”

Asha Raj, posted as Food Safety Officer in Gumla, said their examination was among the 22 tests cancelled by the government.

The court's intervention means the affected employees can continue working for now, while the investigation into alleged irregularities and the broader dispute over the recruitment examinations continues.

(With inputs from PTI)