Thousands of Government Job Applicants Left Stranded After Jharkhand Mantralaya Cancels Exams Amid Protests

On Monday night, scores of people stood waiting outside the Jharkhand Mantralaya in Ranchi, dressed in formal office uniform, as heavy rain lashed the city. The wait was for an uncertain future after the government cancelled the JSSC-CGL examination amid protests.

The move has left thousands of job applicants stranded, including Roshan Kumar, 30, who had joined the government posting this January after a legal battle over the exam. “Everything is over, mumma,” he told his parents over the phone, crying inconsolably. He had prepared largely on his own because his family could not afford coaching.

The JSSC-CGL examination had already been a long wait, with the recruitment process beginning in 2015-16 and going through several cancellations, delays, and legal battles. The high court had ordered status quo in December 2024, and the matter continued for nearly a year before being rejected

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Many candidates, including Chanda Kumari, 32, who was scheduled to appear for the physical test of the Forest Range Officer (FRO) examination, are now left with no option but to continue their struggle. “I have been continuously appearing in examinations: CGL, JPSC or FRO. But now the government has left us with no option,” she said.

The cancellation of the exam has also affected the lives of many families, including that of Roshan's, who is heavily dependent on his daughter's salary. The eldest of five siblings, Chanda is worried about her family and the future of democracy in the country.”>}