PRAVIN KUMAR
Ranchi, March 8: The Sixth Civil Services Examination of Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) has been controversial since the beginning.
As a result, it took more than five years to complete the exam. Repeated amendments in the examination process by the state government also had an effect on this examination due to which the preliminary examination to the main examination has always been in controversy.
Along with this, after the matter went to the court and even after the decision of the court, the commission and the state government are yet to take any action.
The candidates have said that the government and the commission are working as if they have zero responsibility. No action has been taken since the two months after the order of the single bench, and after the two months the double bench of the High Court granted a stay.
The division bench released its judgment once again on February 23, but till now no action has been taken on the said order. Candidates have alleged that the JPSC is delaying the procedure deliberately so that a stay can be obtained from the Supreme Court.
Notably, the examinees have accused the JPSC of several irregularities in the Sixth Civil Services Examination. When the candidates did not get justice from JPSC, they approached the High Court. The High Court in June 2021, ruled in favor of the unsuccessful candidates and declared the appointment invalid. The court then ordered preparation of a new merit list.
Along with this, the action was ordered against the officials who had worked on the invalid results, which is yet to be taken by the JPSC. The division bench of the High Court then released another judgment on February 23, which upheld the decision of the single bench.
The commission deliberately gave candidates selected in the invalid declared results opportunities, so that the Division Bench grants a stay to the JPSC. However, things didn’t go as planned for the JPSC.
After the decision of the Division Bench in court, services of around 130 officers appointed through the invalid declared results by the sixth JPSC would be terminated.
In such a situation, the question that arises is that if these officers deliberately make wrong decisions or any other irregularities, who shall be held responsible? The government and senior officials of the JPSC now seem to be playing with the future of these unsuspecting youths and operating with a sense of ‘zero responsibility’ which can ultimately be dangerous to the interests of the state.
It has been noticed that even after the judgment from the HC, the candidates were appointed on the basis of lobbying and for money. This seems like a deliberate move on part of the JPSC to get a stay from the Apex Court.
Since the court has ordered action against the guilty officials. Therefore, the present office bearers of the commission and the senior officers of the state government are trying to save their former bureaucrats and, therefore, are refusing to comply with the orders of the court.
Meanwhile, due to the irregularities in the Sixth Civil Services Examination and non-compliance with the court order, the candidates have sent a complaint letter against the JPSC to the Governor, President, and Prime Minister. Mainly three demands have been included in the application which includes:
- In the light of the order of the court, a revised merit list be drawn up and deserving people be appointed.
- In the light of the same order of the court, action be taken against the guilty officials. Along with this, action should also be taken against the present office bearers and former office-bearers of the commission who try to save the guilty office bearers and willfully delay compliance with the order.
- In the light of the order of the court, wherein ‘therefore appointment is nullied’ is mentioned, the present appointments be cancelled. Also, the new result will be published. Even if there is any hindrance in preparing the new result, there can be no delay in cancellation of present appointments and merit list. Therefore, first of all, the appointments and merit list be cancelled.
