Jharkhand PSC Exam row deepens as the government agrees to review the disputed test and investigate irregularities, while protesting students continue demanding a CBI probe.
By Qalam Times News Network
Ranchi, August 10, 2026
Jharkhand PSC Exam controversy continues to keep the state government and protesting students at odds. The Jharkhand government has agreed to consider cancelling the disputed recruitment examination, investigate allegations of irregularities and introduce reforms in the examination system. However, the discussions held with protesting students have failed to produce a final settlement.
The Jharkhand PSC Exam dispute has now moved into a more serious phase, with student groups demanding an independent CBI investigation into the alleged irregularities. The protesters have announced a march towards the Jharkhand Assembly on Monday, August 10, insisting that cancellation of the examination alone will not address their concerns.
Students Demand CBI Probe as Government Offers Judicial Panel
The students have maintained that the government must order a CBI investigation into the alleged malpractice surrounding the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission examination. They argue that merely cancelling the examination would not establish accountability or prevent similar controversies in future recruitment processes.
JMM minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu, however, said the government could not simply cancel the examination on its own because the recruitment process has already been affected by orders of the High Court and Supreme Court. The results have also been declared, while some successful candidates have reportedly already joined their respective posts.
Instead of immediately agreeing to a CBI probe, the government has proposed setting up a committee headed by a former judge. The proposed panel would examine the allegations of irregularities and assess the various aspects of the recruitment process. Student representatives, however, have rejected the proposal and continued to demand a CBI investigation.
The issue has been discussed through several rounds of negotiations between the protesters and a special group of state ministers, including the Minister for Higher and Technical Education. According to Sudivya Kumar Sonu, six rounds of talks have taken place.
The minister said on Sunday that the government had accepted around 98 per cent of the students’ demands, but the discussions still failed to produce an agreement. He described the continuing deadlock as unfortunate and said the government would ensure that students taking part in the agitation were not subjected to harassment.
The controversy has also coincided with changes within the Jharkhand Public Service Commission. On Sunday, the Governor accepted the resignations of three members of the commission.
For the protesting students, however, the central demand remains unchanged: they want the disputed examination process to be independently investigated. With the Assembly march scheduled for August 10, the confrontation over the Jharkhand PSC Exam is likely to remain a significant issue for the state government unless both sides reach a compromise.
