'Media Backed Unfair Demand': Exam Cancelled, Scores in Jharkhand Now Lose Jobs

As Soren government agrees to demands of protesters to cancel exams, thousands in Jharkhand lose jobless overnight.

'Media Blindly Supported Protesters' Unfair Demand': Over 2,000 JSSC-CGL Candidates Lose Jobs After CM Hemant Soren Cancels Exams following Students' Protests

(Photo: The Quint)

"This protest was completely different from the CJP (Cockroach Janta Party). There, the demand was straightforward and just: The education minister must resign over paper leaks. The focus was on holding the government accountable, not demanding that all NEET exams should be cancelled," said Vivek Kumar (32), who, until 17 August, was working with the Water Resources Department in Jharkhand.

In December 2025, Vivek was elated to receive an appointment letter, along with over 1,900 others who had qualified in the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination in 2024. The letters were handed out by Chief Minister Hemant Soren at a grand event organised by the Jharkhand government in Ranchi.

The appointment letters were handed out by Chief Minister Hemant Soren at a grand event organised by the Jharkhand government in Ranchi in December 2025.

(Photo: Jharkhand Government)

However, on 17 August, the fate of all those appointed changed overnight after Soren announced the blanket cancellation of the JSSC-CGL exam, giving in to the demands of students who had been protesting at the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium for the past several weeks.

The cancellation of the exam and a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) were the two biggest points of contention between the Soren government and the protesters. While those protesting at the stadium celebrated, thousands like Vivek began a fresh protest at the Jharkhand Mantralaya over losing their jobs in a matter of a few hours.

The appointments made following the JSSC-CGL exam came after a nine-year wait for the examination to be conducted by the JSSC, a re-examination following alleged irregularities, and year-long court battles to compel the government to make the appointments.

"I gave my youth to this—10 years since 2015 preparing for government jobs. I spent my youth trying to secure a government job, finally got selected, and now without a valid reason, they claim irregularities were found," Vivek said, alleging that the decision was taken by the Soren government under the "pressure of media trial," and that respective departments have issued no notification or clarity so far.

Nevertheless, thousands like Vivek now face grave uncertainty about their future.

A Decade-Long Wait For Appointments

The JSSC-CGL exam, conducted in January 2024, came after a wait of nine years, during which the government kept issuing and withdrawing notifications for it.

It was first set in motion under the Raghubar Das government in 2015. The first recruitment advertisement came in 2016, but the exam was postponed, followed by further delays in 2018, 2019 and 2021. Exam dates were announced in 2022 and 2023, but the tests were never conducted. The exam was finally held in January 2024, only to be cancelled after the question paper and answer key allegedly leaked on social media before the test. While JSSC chairman Neeraj Sinha later resigned, the recruitment process was again stalled by the Lok Sabha elections. The re-exam finally took place in September 2024.

However, the appointments came only after a year-long legal battle, following which the court directed that the positions be filled.

While pronouncing its judgment, the court had ordered that the investigation be completed within six months, and that if any appointed candidates were found guilty, only their appointments should be nullified.

Now, after merely eight months of securing the much-awaited government jobs, the protests have led to the cancellation of the examination itself, nullifying the appointments and putting the future of scores of candidates in jeopardy.

Vivek Kumar received the appointment letter in December 2025.

(Photo: The Quint)

Twenty-nine-year-old Priyanka Minch, who until 16 August was working as an Assistant Section Officer (ASO), had faith in the sanctity of the court order and believed the government would not defy it, until Soren addressed the media on 17 August.

For Minch, being the eldest daughter with a government job was a way of securing the future of her ageing parents and two younger siblings.

"Till now, neither any report (of the investigation into the exams) has come out, nor have there been any other claims. On what basis did they suddenly just cancel it? Scrapped, in a single sentence," Minch said, adding that she had been waiting for the exams to be conducted since 2019 and had filled out the forms every time a notification was issued.

"I left a job in the Railways to take up this position, so that we could live with our elderly parents," she said.

Hemant Raj (26), who was also working as an ASO for the past eight months, was a Class 7 officer in the GST department when he appeared for the exam. He, too, like Priyanka, took up the job to be able to move back with his family in Ranchi.

"We fought a year of legal battles for the court to enforce the appointments. The decision to cancel the exam was made in a three-hour meeting. What factors were considered in that meeting to cancel the exam that the government's SIT or CID was not able to find out in a year?" he asked.

Vivek, too, had appeared for multiple government exams while he waited nine years for the JSSC-CGL exam to take place.

"You didn't let us study for other exams, and when you finally conducted this one and the court case ran for a year without finding evidence, you suddenly turn around after giving us jobs and cancel it, claiming irregularities were found. A year is a very long time. If the CID failed in its investigation, why should we suffer the consequences?" he said.

'Delhi Media Blindly Supported Demands'

Most of those impacted by the decision have blamed Delhi-based media houses for "unbalanced reporting" that allegedly added to the pressure on the Soren government to decide on a blanket cancellation of the JSSC-CGL exam.

On 17 August, the candidates immediately staged a protest outside the Mantralaya, but many refused to speak to the media.

"It happened purely because of a media trial. Declaring us guilty, portraying that everybody got appointed via illegal means. Mobocracy prevailed here and they cancelled the entire exam without any proper communication. We could have also come forward in the media, but we were bound by the code of conduct and could not voice our side of the story," Hemant said.

(Photo: X/Jharkhand Mukti Morcha)

Vivek, too, said that many in the media unjustly tried to draw false parallels with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement, despite the demands of Jharkhand's students being far more complex and layered.

"Not many bothered to reserach on the demands being made and ask how fair or legitimate they were," Vivek said.

The protests at the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium have been paused for two months.

In a statement, the JSSC-JPSC Reform Manch said: "We are postponing our movement for two months as the government has given us a written assurance for the inquiry report. The government has fulfilled most of our demands. The remaining demands will be fulfilled after two months. This movement is not ended, it is only postponed for two months."

The outcome of the movement may lead to greater reform and accountability in Jharkhand's examination process, but it has also left thousands of genuine candidates, who qualified and secured jobs on merit, with their futures in limbo.

While Priyanka's father is a retired government employee, his pension is still awaited. The family relies on her income, including for the education expenses of the two younger children.

"There is gloom spread across the family, my parents are very distressed," she said.

Vivek, too, said that the move has impacted his morale immensely.

"I am not going to pretend that there is some great financial distress at home. But that doesn't mean I don't deserve a job or the right to progress in life. Everyone has the right to move forward. While we aren't wealthy, my father's pension is currently our primary income, and we manage the household through it," he said.