Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday cancelled the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level examination results, 24 days after students began protesting alleged irregularities in the conduct of competitive examinations for government jobs.<\/p>\n
Soren also announced the cancellation of all examinations conducted since 2014 by TSR Data Processing Private Limited, a blacklisted agency. An investigation will be conducted into the exams, added the chief minister.<\/p>\n
TDPL \u0926\u094d\u0935\u093e\u0930\u093e \u0906\u092f\u094b\u091c\u093f\u0924 \u0915\u0940 \u0917\u0908 \u092a\u0930\u0940\u0915\u094d\u0937\u093e\u090f\u0902, TDPL \u0926\u094d\u0935\u093e\u0930\u093e \u092a\u094d\u0930\u0915\u093e\u0936\u093f\u0924 \u0930\u093f\u091c\u0932\u094d\u091f, TDPL \u0926\u094d\u0935\u093e\u0930\u093e \u091c\u094b \u092d\u0940 \u0905\u092d\u094d\u092f\u0930\u094d\u0925\u0940 \u091a\u0941\u0928\u0947 \u0917\u090f \u0939\u0948\u0902 \u092f\u093e TDPL \u0926\u094d\u0935\u093e\u0930\u093e \u091c\u094b \u092d\u0940 \u0917\u0924\u093f\u0935\u093f\u0927\u093f\u092f\u093e\u0902 \u092f\u0939\u093e\u0902 \u0915\u0940 \u0917\u0908 \u0939\u0948, \u0909\u0928 \u0938\u092d\u0940 \u0915\u094b \u0930\u0926\u094d\u0926 \u0915\u093f\u092f\u093e \u091c\u093e\u0924\u093e \u0939\u0948 : \u0936\u094d\u0930\u0940 @HemantSorenJMM pic.twitter.com\/cGP8DNkzR2<\/p>\n
Following the announcement, Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha leader Devendra Nath Mahto ended his hunger strike after 16 days, reported ANI.<\/p>\n
However, student leader Ravindra Paswan said that the protest would continue as a key demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the alleged exam irregularities had not been met, reported The Hindu.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have won a major battle, but there is still more to be done,\u201d Paswan was quoted as saying.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Soren\u2019s announcement was met with protests from the candidates who had qualified for the now-cancelled exam. A group of them gathered outside the state secretariat and said they should not be made to suffer for alleged irregularities for which they were not responsible, reported The Indian Express.<\/p>\n
The protests in Jharkhand began on July 25, inspired by the agitation across the country against the alleged mismanagement of national competitive exams. The protesters have been holding a sit-in at Ranchi\u2019s Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium.<\/p>\n
On August 9, the Jharkhand government agreed to cancel three examinations, including the preliminary examination of the 14th state Public Service Commission Combined Civil Services, on the protesters\u2019 demand.<\/p>\n
However, students continued their protest, demanding that the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level examination be cancelled as well.<\/p>\n
The government had refused to cancel the graduate-level examination, saying that it was conducted under the monitoring of the Supreme Court and the Jharkhand High Court. It had instead proposed a high-level judicial inquiry headed by a retired judge to investigate allegations related to the examination.<\/p>\n
After a Cabinet meeting on Monday, Soren said that his government had decided to cancel the examination as the facts emerging from the ongoing investigations were \u201cshocking\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince the investigation is ongoing, it is not possible to disclose every detail openly,\u201d said the chief minister. \u201cThe matter involves a complex and interconnected network of various companies that have operated here at different times. The Crime Investigation Department will probe all examinations conducted from 2014 to the present.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that standard operating procedures for conducting competitive examinations had not been followed.<\/p>\n
The government has constituted a committee headed by Indian Administrative Service officer Amitabh Kaushal to work on education reforms in consultation with institutions, experts and other stakeholders, said Soren.<\/p>\n