New Delhi: Students in Ranchi have been protesting for several days over alleged irregularities in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) examination. While the government has extended an offer to hold talks with the students, no consensus has been reached yet. The matter regarding the irregularities in the JPSC exam has now reached the Supreme Court.
A petitioner named Harisharan Devgan has filed a petition seeking a fresh conduct of the examination and a CBI inquiry into the matter. The petition also demands that a committee of retired judges be entrusted with overseeing the investigation. All eyes are now on the Supreme Court to see what directives it issues in this regard.
Here are the details of the entire matter
The Jharkhand government is facing increasing scrutiny over allegations of irregularities in the JPSC examination. The capital, Ranchi, has become a new battleground for protests. Allegations regarding irregularities in the preliminary examination surfaced on July 2, 2026, after the OMR sheet of a successful candidate went viral on social media.
As the OMR sheet circulated online, various questions were raised. It is alleged that the candidate was declared eligible for the subsequent stage of the exam despite having answered only 48 questions in Paper-1. This sparked outrage among the students. The Jharkhand government handed over the investigation to the CID, but the students were not satisfied with this decision. Due to the government’s arbitrary actions, students have been continuously protesting in Ranchi since July 25.
Key Demands Made in the Petition
A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court through advocate Satyam Singh Rajput. The petitioner has urged the country’s apex court to intervene in the matter. The petition seeks the cancellation of the JPSC Preliminary Examination-2025 and demands that it be re-conducted with adequate security measures in place.
Additionally, a plea has been filed seeking a CBI investigation into the irregularities. A request has been made for this probe to be both comprehensive and time-bound. There is also a demand for the constitution of an independent inquiry committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge or a retired Chief Justice of a High Court from outside Jharkhand.
An appeal has been made for an independent audit of the processes involving OMR scanning, coding, evaluation, and result preparation. Furthermore, the petition seeks an inquiry into whether it is possible to distinguish between candidates involved in the irregularities and innocent candidates. Finally, a demand has been raised to securely preserve the original OMR sheets, carbon copies, question papers, answer keys, attendance records, and biometric data.
