Ranchi, August 19, 2026: The Jharkhand government has cancelled 22 recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) amid concerns over irregularities in the examination process. The government has also ordered investigations into 17 older examinations and put six other recruitment processes on hold pending a review of the agencies involved.
The decisions were issued through a series of notifications numbered 5402 to 5409 by the Personnel, Administrative Reforms and Rajbhasha Department. The action follows findings and complaints linked to ongoing investigations into alleged irregularities, including questions surrounding the role of TSR Data Processing Pvt Ltd (TDPL) in several examination processes.
The government’s decision includes the cancellation of the JSSC Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examination under Advertisement No. 10/2023. The move has significant implications for candidates who had cleared the examination and were awaiting the next stage of the recruitment process.
Which 22 examinations have been cancelled?
The cancelled examinations are spread across several recruitment years and departments.
Notification 5402 — Eight examinations
- Recruitment to non-teaching posts in universities — Advertisement No. 09/2025
- Assistant Director/Senior Scientific Officer (Backlog) — Advertisement No. 10/2025
- Assistant Director/Senior Scientific Officer (Regular) — Advertisement No. 11/2025
- Drug Inspector — Advertisement No. 12/2025
- Assistant Professor in government engineering colleges (Backlog) — Advertisement No. 02/2026
- Lecturer in government polytechnic/women’s polytechnic colleges (Backlog) — Advertisement No. 03/2026
- Lecturer in government polytechnic/women’s polytechnic colleges (Regular) — Advertisement No. 04/2026
- Assistant Professor (Super Specialist) in medical colleges — Advertisement No. 07/2026
Notification 5403 — Eight examinations
- Civil Judge (Junior Division) — Advertisement No. 22/2023
- Assistant Conservator of Forest — Advertisement No. 03/2024
- Forest Range Officer — Advertisement No. 04/2024
- Assistant Public Prosecutor (Backlog) — Advertisement No. 05/2025
- Assistant Public Prosecutor (Regular) — Advertisement No. 06/2025
- Jharkhand Combined Civil Services Examination-2025 — Advertisement No. 01/2026
- Jharkhand Combined Civil Services Examination (Backlog)-2025 — Advertisement No. 05/2026
- Jharkhand Combined Civil Services Examination (Backlog)-2023 — Advertisement No. 06/2026
The JPSC’s own 2026 examination calendar confirms several of these recruitment advertisements, including the Combined Civil Services examinations, Assistant Conservator of Forest, Forest Range Officer and Jharkhand Eligibility Test.
Notification 5404 — Three examinations
- Food Safety Officer — Advertisement No. 18/2023
- Child Development Project Officer — Advertisement No. 21/2023
- Combined Civil Services Examination-2023 — Advertisement No. 01/2024
Notification 5407 — Two examinations
- 6th Limited Deputy Collector Recruitment — Advertisement No. 11/2018
- Jharkhand Eligibility Test 2024 — Advertisement No. 08/2025
JSSC CGL — Notification 5408
- Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (CGL) Examination — Advertisement No. 10/2023
The JSSC CGL cancellation was linked to findings from an SIT investigation and facts emerging from the CID investigation concerning JPSC-related matters, according to the government’s decision as described in the source material. The cancellation has also affected candidates who had already cleared the examination.
Six recruitment processes put on hold
The government has also kept six recruitment processes on hold where preliminary work was carried out by agencies other than TDPL. Their credentials and role are to be examined by the CID before further action is taken.
The six processes are:
- Food Analyst — Advertisement No. 05/2024
- Deputy Director, Prosecution — Advertisement No. 03/2025
- Project Manager and equivalent — Advertisement No. 04/2025
- Inspector of Factories — Advertisement No. 01/2025
- Boiler Inspector — Advertisement No. 02/2025
- Director — Advertisement No. 07/2025
These examinations will remain suspended until further orders, according to the supplied government notification details.
CID to examine 17 older examinations
The government has separately ordered a CID investigation into possible irregularities in 17 older examinations.
The examinations include the 5th Combined Civil Services recruitment of 2013, Civil Judge recruitments conducted in 2015 and 2018, Soil Conservation Officer recruitment, posts under the Agriculture Department, Food Safety Officer recruitment of 2016, Dentist recruitment, Commercial Tax recruitment, Geologist-Chemist recruitment, Assistant Engineer recruitment, Combined Civil Services examinations of 2016 and 2021 and Dental Doctor recruitment of 2022.
The decision broadens the review beyond the recently conducted examinations and brings older recruitment processes under scrutiny as well. Reports on the government’s decision also confirm the move to investigate 17 examinations conducted over the years.
Government plans changes to recruitment system
The government has also announced measures aimed at strengthening the examination system.
These include a proposal to approach the Jharkhand High Court for the creation of a fast-track court to deal with cases involving alleged irregularities and malpractice in JPSC and JSSC processes.
An internal monitoring cell is also proposed for JPSC and JSSC.
In addition, a committee headed by Amitabh Kaushal, IAS, with directors of reputed institutions as members, will undertake a broader study of examination reforms. The committee is expected to submit its report within two months.
The notifications were issued by government secretary Praveen Kumar Toppo and circulated to the e-Gazette nodal officer and the concerned departments and officials for necessary action.
The government has said the measures are intended to restore transparency and credibility in the state’s recruitment examination system. For candidates affected by the cancellations, the next course of action and arrangements for the concerned recruitments will be important developments to watch.
