JSSC-CGL High Court Hearing: The Jharkhand High Court on October 7, 2026 (Wednesday) heard the case against the state government's decision to cancel the JSSC CGL and JPSC examinations. The court asked the state sharp questions about the pace and timeline of the investigation.
The court asked why the probe had not been completed in the past three years. It also wanted to know what lay behind the sudden acceleration in the investigation after such a long time.
During the hearing, the petitioners completed their arguments and also filed their reply. The state government submitted two investigation reports in a sealed cover. However, senior advocate Meenakshi Arora, appearing for the government, did not have a copy of the reports with her, so the arguments could not proceed further.
ALSO READ: MPSC Row: Bombay HC Backs Aspirants' Right To Protest, Asks State For Malpractice-Free Exam Roadmap
Were Candidates Made to Memorise Answers at Places Other Than Nepal Too?
Responding to the court's questions, the government's counsel defended the Cabinet's decision to cancel the exam and placed several key facts before the court.
The government said that when the JPSC case began, its links led directly to the CGL exam. The investigation revealed a connection to a man named Abhay Tiwari, on whose credentials his brother and sister-in-law were selected in the CGL exam.
The state claims that candidates were taken not only to Nepal but also to various other locations across the country to memorise answers. It argued that such widespread irregularities made it impossible to separate the fraudsters from the genuine candidates, leaving the Cabinet with no option but to take the tough step of cancelling the examination.
The main arguments from the state government are yet to be heard. The High Court will resume the hearing on Thursday at 11 am.
Key Timeline of JSSC-CGL Exam:
The primary JSSC CGL exam scams occurred in 2024 (with initial paper leaks on January 28, 2024, leading to cancellation on January 31, 2024) and continued into subsequent retests, culminating in the complete scrapping of the exam by the Jharkhand government in August 2026.
January 2024: The JSSC CGL exam was conducted on January 28, 2024, but question papers leaked on social media, prompting an official cancellation on January 31, 2024.
September 2024: A retest was conducted on September 21–22, 2024, which also faced fresh allegations of irregularities and paper circulation.
August 2026: Following major CID arrests and revelations regarding leaked papers from the private vendor agency (TDPL), the Jharkhand government officially canceled the JSSC-CGL exam and all exams conducted by the agency.
Key Details of the Protests & Developments
Initial Student Protests: The protest by JSSC-CGL students in Ranchi began on July 25, 2026. The students protested for 24 days, demanding the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL exam, an investigation into other recruitment exams, and a CBI inquiry.
Government Decision: Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s cabinet announced that the JSSC-CGL 2023 exam and other recruitment tests conducted by the outsourcing company TSR Data Processing Pvt Ltd (TDPL) since 2014 stand cancelled, and a committee was appointed, with senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal, who would be responsible for suggesting reforms.
Counter-Protest by Appointees: Protests were observed from successful candidates who were appointed to government jobs since late 2025, and they organised demonstrations outside the Jharkhand Secretariat (Project Bhawan) in Ranchi.
Legal Action: The disappointed candidates went to the Jharkhand High Court to challenge the cancellation order and the court ordered a freeze on the administration’s plan.
Current Status: Those arrested by the CID include several individuals involved in irregularities related to the examination; a hearing regarding this matter is currently underway in the Jharkhand High Court.