PIL in SC seeks CBI probe, exam cancellation over alleged irregularities in JPSC Civil Services Prelims

The recent irregularities in the JPSC and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) exams had triggered widespread protests in Jharkhand by candidates demanding transparency and structural changes.

The plea filed by social worker Harisharan Devgan through advocate Satyam Singh Rajput sought a CBI probe or an independent inquiry into alleged irregularities in the exam.

"The petition seeks an independent, impartial, comprehensive and time-bound investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged irregularities surrounding the examination conducted by JPSC on April 19, 2026, also referred to as the 14th JPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination," the PIL stated.

The plea comes against the backdrop of controversy following the declaration of the preliminary examination results on July 2, 2026. According to the petition, a carbon copy of the OMR answer sheet of a successful candidate subsequently went viral, triggering allegations regarding the evaluation process.

The petitioner claimed that the candidate was shown as qualified despite having allegedly attempted only 48 of the 100 questions in Paper I.

Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto has allegedly been on hunger strike since August 3, with protesters demanding an independent probe and reforms in the recruitment process, the plea said.

Apart from a CBI investigation, the plea sought constitution of an independent committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge or a retired Chief Justice/Judge of a High Court from outside Jharkhand.

The proposed committee would include experts in forensic science, information technology, examination security, OMR evaluation, cybersecurity and public administration, said the plea.

The petitioner has also sought independent audits of the OMR scanning, coding, evaluation and result-generation systems, and a determination as to whether candidates allegedly affected by irregularities can be objectively separated into "tainted" and "untainted" categories.

The plea further sought directions to JPSC, government authorities and all agencies, contractors, service providers and examination-centre personnel involved in the process to preserve all physical and electronic examination records.

These records, according to the petition, should include original OMR sheets, candidate carbon copies, question papers, answer keys, attendance sheets, biometric records, CCTV footage, dispatch registers, examination-centre reports, scanning records, evaluation data and result-generation data, among other connected documents.

The petitioner has urged the Supreme Court to order a fresh preliminary examination under safeguards approved by the Court.

Meanwhile, a delegation of agitating JPSC and JSSC aspirantsi met today in Ranch with Jharkhand Minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu. After the meeting Minister Sonu announced that the state government has released a dedicated email ID to collect suggestions from students and stakeholders for policy reforms. (ANI)