Jharkhand HC directs govt to fill JPSC Chairman, member posts within two months

Jharkhand High Court on Thursday directed the state government to complete the appointment process for the Chairman and members of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) within two months and submit a compliance report by November 18.

The directive was issued by a division bench comprising Chief Justice M.S. Sonak and Justice Rajesh Shankar during the hearing of a suo motu public interest litigation concerning the shortage of officers and staff in the state Forest Department.

Appearing on behalf of the state government, Advocate General Rohit Roy and advocate Vibhor Mayank assured the court that the process of appointing the JPSC Chairman and members was likely to be completed within two months.

Taking note of the submission, the bench granted the government two months to finalise the appointments and directed it to file a compliance report by November 18.

The court has scheduled the next hearing in the matter for November 19.

During an earlier hearing, the High Court had asked the government to specify a clear timeline for filling the vacant posts of Chairman and members in the commission.

During the proceedings, counsel for JPSC, Sanjay Piperwal, informed the bench that the examination process for the posts of Assistant Conservator of Forest and Range Forest Officer had been cancelled.

The court sought necessary updates from the parties concerned and stressed that the appointment process for the commission’s top posts and members should be completed within a defined timeframe.

JPSC conducts competitive examinations for recruitment to various government services in Jharkhand. As the posts of Chairman and members are crucial to the functioning of the commission, vacancies in these positions directly affect its operations and recruitment activities.

Following the court’s direction, the state government is now required to complete the appointment process within the stipulated period and apprise the court of its status through the compliance report.

Job aspirants in Jharkhand recently staged a protest for 26 days against large-scale irregularities in various examinations conducted by the JPSC and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).

Job aspirants and students suspended the agitation after the Hemant Soren-led government assured them that the government will consider their demands in two months.

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by Education Post)