The Supreme Court is set to hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on August 24, concerning a request for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or independent inquiry into purported irregularities in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) Civil Services Preliminary Examination of 2025. This plea was submitted by social worker Harisharan Devgan, represented by advocate Satyam Singh Rajput.

The petition primarily seeks the cancellation of the preliminary examination held on April 19, 2026, and calls for the organisation of a fresh examination. Devgan’s allegations suggest significant discrepancies in both the conduct and evaluation processes of the examination.

The need for investigation arises amidst growing controversy following the announcement of the examination results on July 2. The petition claims that a carbon copy of the OMR answer sheet belonging to a candidate who passed the examination circulated widely, raising questions regarding the assessment procedures employed.

Claims Of Evaluation Discrepancies Spark Protests

The allegations have triggered extensive protests in Ranchi, as critics highlight possible improprieties. The petitioner states that one particular candidate was marked as qualified despite reportedly answering only 48 out of 100 questions in Paper I.

This situation has led to calls for a thorough and impartial investigation. In addition to requesting a CBI probe, the petition proposes the formation of an independent committee led by a retired Supreme Court judge or a retired Chief Justice/Judge of a High Court from outside Jharkhand. This committee would include specialists in various fields relevant to examination security and evaluation processes.

Furthermore, the PIL requests independent audits of the OMR scanning, coding, evaluation, and result-generation activities to ascertain if there exists a clear distinction between candidates who may have been adversely affected by these alleged irregularities.

Preservation Of Examination Records Sought

The petitioner has urged the Supreme Court to mandate that the JPSC, governmental authorities, and associated personnel retain all physical and electronic records related to the examination. This retention request encompasses original OMR sheets, candidate carbon copies, question papers, answer keys, attendance logs, biometric data, CCTV footage, dispatch registers, evaluation records, and result generation data.

The plea additionally seeks the Supreme Court’s intervention to ensure that a new preliminary examination is conducted with careful safeguards in place, should these matters necessitate such actions.

Further developments occurred on August 20, when the Jharkhand High Court issued a stay on the State government’s order that had cancelled the appointments of government employees selected through the 11th to 13th JPSC examinations. This cancellation had been announced on August 18, following public outcry over the alleged irregularities.

The court’s ruling is part of ongoing hearings concerning various petitions filed by newly appointed officials who opposed the government’s abrupt decision to nullify their appointments. The evolving situation reflects the complex nature of the ongoing disputes regarding the integrity of these examinations.

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