The State Government has instituted process for appointment of Mary Neelima Kerketta, a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS 1994 batch) from Maharasthra cadre to be chairman of Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC). The chairman post at JPSC is lying vacant for past two months after its chairman and former cricketing boss of Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) passed away on August this year.
Kerketta a native from Jharkhand, retired on August 31. The announcement was made via a press release by the state government.
On December 2020, she was transferred and posted as the Principal Secretary of Public Health Department in Maharashtra. Earlier, she served as CEO of Maharashtra State Khadi & Gramodyog Mandal, Mumbai.
Kerketta is a 1994 batch IAS officer of Maharashtra cadre. She was a Chief Secretary rank officer in Maharashtra. Kerketta was also on deputation to Jharkhand from the year 2008 to 2013. Kerketta is the daughter of former Vice Chancellor of BAU, Late Dr. R. Kerketta. Neelima’s father late Dr. R. Kerketta, a resident of Kanke, Ranchi, was a well-known agricultural scientist who has also been the Vice Chancellor of Birsa Agricultural University.
It is noteworthy that the post of JPSC President is vacant for almost two months. This has hampered many appointments and promotions. At present there are three members working in the commission.
Former Chairman of JPSC Amitabh Choudhary passed away this year on August. Choudhary tried to regularize the academic calendar of examination body. Apart from heading the state examination body, Choudhary a retired senior IPS officer, who rose to the rank of IGP with the Jharkhand Police, was also JSCA head.
Choudhary, an IIT Kharagpur alumnus, Chaudhary was instrumental in getting the first-class status for Jharkhand after BCCI disbanded the Bihar Cricket Association during the late Jagmohan Dalmiya's tenure in the early part of the new millennium.
Once Jharkhand got the official FC status, Mahendra Singh Dhoni shifted from Bihar and represented the state till the end of his career.
Chaudhary also played a major role in building one of the finest cricket stadiums in Ranchi and should be considered instrumental in bringing international cricket and IPL to the industrial town.
With the appointment of Neelima as new head of JPSC it is expected that in JPSC, the pending examinations will be held soon. However, JPSC since its beginning has always remained in controversy. In December 2021 the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) has landed in a controversy after it disqualified 49 candidates who were earlier declared to have ‘provisionally cleared’ the 7th Civil Services PT Examination (JPSC exam).
More recently in August this year there was big relief for JPSC as the Supreme Court set aside the order of the Jharkhand High Court related to the 6th JPSC Combined Civil Services Competitive Examination. The order paved the path for the protection of jobs of all 326 candidates selected on the basis of the first result published by the recruitment agency.