Jharkhand protests: Supreme Court issues notice to Centre, state govt over JPSC prelims probe plea

The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre, Jharkhand government and other authorities on a plea seeking a CBI or independent probe into alleged irregularities in the Jharkhand Combined Civil Services Preliminary Competitive Examination 2025, conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC).

A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana issued the notices on a public interest litigation filed by activist Harisharan Devgan through advocate Satyam Singh Rajput. The plea has sought transfer of the investigation from the state CID to the CBI, arguing that an independent agency is necessary to ensure an impartial examination of alleged wrongdoing involving public officials and examination agencies.

Also read: Jharkhand protests: 3 FIRs filed against 28 named, 900 unnamed over clashes


The petition, filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, raises concerns over the "integrity, fairness, transparency and credibility" of the examination conducted on April 19, 2026, pursuant to Advertisement No. 01/2026.

Plea seeks probe into entire examination process

The petitioner has argued that the allegations cannot be treated merely as a dispute involving individual candidates or isolated instances of malpractice. Instead, the plea seeks scrutiny of the entire examination chain, from the preparation and printing of question papers to their coding, storage, transportation and distribution.

It has also called for examination of the processes involving the conduct of the test, collection and custody of OMR sheets, scanning, coding and decoding, evaluation, storage and access to electronic examination data, as well as result generation and publication.

The plea has further sought immediate steps to secure physical and digital evidence, including original OMR sheets and candidates' carbon copies, CCTV footage and server audit logs, to prevent any possibility of tampering or destruction of evidence.

Petitioner stops short of seeking exam cancellation

The petitioner has clarified that the PIL does not seek cancellation of the preliminary examination merely on the basis of media reports or allegations.

Instead, it seeks an "independent, impartial, comprehensive and time-bound investigation" by the CBI to determine the nature, extent, mechanism and impact of the alleged irregularities. According to the plea, the consequential question of whether the preliminary examination can safely be relied upon should be decided only after an objective and scientifically verifiable assessment of the evidence.

The petition also frames the matter as a broader constitutional issue, questioning whether a public recruitment examination conducted by a constitutional authority continues to meet the minimum standards of fairness, transparency, reliability and institutional integrity required for its results to form the basis for public appointments.

Also read: Jharkhand exam protesters accuse govt of 'betrayal' as HC stays several job test cancellations

JPSC-JSSC exam row triggers month-long student agitation

The plea comes against the backdrop of a wider student agitation in Jharkhand over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the JPSC and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). Students under the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch had protested for about a month, demanding action over alleged discrepancies in recruitment exams and greater transparency in the selection process.

The agitation had also focused on the 14th JPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination, with protesting aspirants demanding its cancellation and a CBI probe into alleged irregularities. The government held talks with different student groups during the agitation, but the protests continued after the initial discussions failed to resolve the key demands.

The protests escalated on August 10 when students marching towards the Jharkhand Assembly clashed with police, who used water cannons and batons as demonstrators approached the building. Several students and policemen were injured, according to ET's report.

The wider agitation was suspended last week after the state government agreed to several demands. Students, however, gave the government a two-month ultimatum to address their concerns over recruitment examinations.