The Jharkhand High Court has granted the state government a two-month deadline to appoint a new chairman and members to the Jharkhand Public Service Commission, moving to resolve prolonged vacancies that have disrupted hiring across multiple government departments.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice M S Sonak and Justice Rajesh Shankar issued the order during a Thursday hearing on a suo motu petition initiated by the court over the panel’s vacant leadership positions. Advocate General Rohitashya Roy informed the bench that the appointment process for the commission’s chairman is expected to conclude soon.
Following the submission, the court directed the advocate general to submit a formal compliance report on the matter by November 18 and scheduled the next hearing for November 19.
Disruption To State Recruitment And Constitutional Mandate
The high court’s suo motu intervention originated during hearings on a separate petition concerning staffing shortages within the state forest department, where the bench was informed that the posts of chairman and members were entirely unoccupied.
The court had previously observed that the commission functions as a constitutional body and that the chairman’s post must not remain vacant for an extended period. The ongoing absence of leadership has stalled the recruitment and induction of new officers and personnel across various state administrative departments. In earlier proceedings, the bench had directed the government to provide an exact timeline for finishing the selection process for both the chairman and panel members.
Investigations And Mass Resignations Preceding Vacancies
The complete leadership vacuum at the commission followed significant upheaval surrounding state recruitment examinations. Former chairman L Khiangte was arrested on August 10, just one day after the commission’s remaining members vacated their offices. Khiangte, who was named to the commission’s helm in February of the previous year following his retirement as chief secretary, was taken into custody amid escalating protests by job aspirants alleging widespread test irregularities, including question paper leaks.
A day prior to Khiangte’s arrest, all three members of the commission—Ajeeta Bhattacharya, Anima Hansda, and Jamal Ahmad—submitted their resignations on August 9 amid sustained student agitation. Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar subsequently accepted their resignations. The departures occurred after the Criminal Investigation Department summoned the three members to face questioning regarding the alleged examination irregularities and leaks.
