Jharkhand government cancels JSSC-CGL exam, all exams conducted by tainted firm

Students celebrate the decision but say the protest will continue as their demand for a CBI inquiry has still not been accepted; State CID searches JSSC office, makes arrest

Updated - August 18, 2026 04:47 am IST - Patna

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, along with Cabinet Ministers, holds a press conference in Ranchi on August 17, 2026. | Photo Credit: PTI

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced the cancellation of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination late on Monday (August 18, 2026), 24 days after students began the protest over alleged irregularities in recruitment exams in the State.

The decision was taken during a four-hour emergency Cabinet meeting. He also announced that all examinations conducted since 2014 by TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL), a blacklisted agency, will be cancelled. He further said a committee will be formed under senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal to suggest reforms in the conduct of examinations in the State.

Protestors celebrate after the Jharkhand government cancelled the JSSC-CGL exam in Ranchi on August 17, 2026. | Photo Credit: ANI

Hundreds of students who have gathered at Ranchi’s Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, demanding that the 2025 JSSC-CGL examination be cancelled, celebrated the Chief Minister’s announcement. A few of them even cried. However, Ravindra Paswan, leader of the JPSC-JSSC Reform Manch, which has been leading the protest, said the agitation would continue as their key demand of a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged examination irregularities had not been met.

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“This is the first step and first victory; our protest will continue until the CBI inquiry takes place into the irregularities. The demand for a CBI inquiry has not been accepted yet. We have won a major battle, but there is still more to be done,” Mr. Paswan said.

Earlier, addressing the press, Mr. Soren said, “Today, we held a special Cabinet meeting to bring this matter to a conclusion. After considering all aspects, we have decided to cancel all examinations conducted by the TDPL, the results published by the TDPL, and the selection or participation of any candidates through it. All activities undertaken by the TDPL in this regard have also been cancelled. The Cabinet has also decided to cancel the JSSC-CGL exam.”

Mr. Soren added that had the previously established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) been strictly adhered to, such flaws would not have arisen. He noted that the state government has enacted stringent laws to curb malpractice in examinations and is now set to implement several new reforms in the examination process to ensure complete transparency.

“Investigations by both the SIT [Special Investigation Team] and the CID [Crime Investigation Department of the State police] have revealed several shocking facts. Since the investigation is ongoing, it is not possible to disclose every detail openly. The matter involves a complex and interconnected network of various companies that have operated here at different times. The CID will investigate all examinations conducted from 2014 to the present,” Mr. Soren said.

Reacting to the cancellation of the examination and further action taken by the government, Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on a hunger strike for the past 16 days, said, “Congratulations to all the protesting students, and I also congratulate CM Hemant Soren, who listened to our demands. The most important thing is that the investigation should be conducted meticulously and every corrupt individual involved be apprehended. The masterminds behind these gangs must be caught.”

Leader of the Opposition in the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly Babulal Marandi also congratulated the students with a post on X.

“Congratulations and best wishes to the students who have been protesting for the past 23 days at the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi. You have demonstrated your unwavering resolve, unity, and tenacity, forcing the government to bend. The cancellation of JSSC-CGL is a major victory for you,” Mr. Marandi said.

He added, “The Chief Minister, who was arrogantly dismissing the students’ allegations, was compelled to accept your demands with a shamed expression. However, the government’s refusal to order a CBI investigation clearly shows that its intentions are still not right. The cancellation of the exam is just one step.”