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New Delhi: The controversy over recruitment examinations in Jharkhand has intensified after the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested former Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) Chairman L. Khiangte in connection with alleged irregularities in the 14th JPSC Combined Civil Services Examination.
The arrest of a retired IAS officer, who had been the Chief Secretary of Jharkhand before that, is likely to fuel the discussion about transparency in recruitment exams in the country. Now, the two questions that arise are: Was it a problem restricted to the examination, or did it highlight a wider web of people linked to the recruitment exam process?
Manoj Tibrewal Aakash, a senior journalist, discussed the JPSC scandal, the student demonstrations, and the arrest of L. Khiangte on his popular TV programme "The MTA Speaks."
L. Khiangte is an 1988 batch retired IAS officer who had held many administrative positions in Jharkhand before being made the state’s Chief Secretary.
Post-retirement, he became the Chairman of Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) in February 2025. This body conducts various examinations for filling up the vacancies in different government jobs in the state.
However, during his tenure, there have been many recruitment examinations. But some of these examinations were later embroiled in controversy over some irregularities and have come under CID inquiry.
The largest controversy surrounded the conduct of 14th JPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination. Immediately after the result was announced, candidates along with students' associations made allegations about unfair conduct in the exam.
They alleged that some irregularities occurred and some candidates might have got an undue advantage. As a consequence, investigation was started by Jharkhand CID into the controversy.
In the course of investigation, they raided JPSC premises and recovered various documents and electronic materials such as OMR sheets, admit cards, mark sheets, computers and mobile phones.
The inquiry soon went beyond the examination results and concentrated on the agency that conducted the examination.
The name of the company “TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL)” came up during the inquiry process. It was stated that the company played a key role in some significant parts of the examination process.
There have been questions regarding the procedure of selecting such an agency. The company is reported to have faced an issue in Jharkhand earlier.
It is being investigated as to how the agency got assigned the examination related work.
The arrest of L. Khiangte is part of the ongoing investigation and does not mean that he has been declared guilty. The final decision will depend on evidence presented before the court.
Khiangte had earlier been questioned multiple times by the CID. Reports suggest that investigators questioned him for several hours regarding the selection of the examination agency, procedures followed during the exam and other related issues.
He had also resigned from the post of JPSC Chairman, stating that he wanted to ensure an impartial investigation and avoid any questions regarding his position.
CID investigation has now extended from just one person to other places too. CID is investigating the case on whether there has been any organised fraud done in the whole examination procedure.
Previously several others have been held, including Deputy Controller of Examination of JPSC, Shweta Gupta and other who are associated with the examination body.
CID has also locked up offices of TDPL in Ranchi and Lucknow. Several documents and other evidences are being looked into by the officials.
The controversy has intensified student protests across Jharkhand. Thousands of aspirants have been demanding transparency in JPSC and JSSC recruitment examinations.
Students are demanding an impartial investigation, strict action against those responsible and a transparent recruitment system. The biggest question now remains whether the 14th JPSC examination will be cancelled or conducted again. No final decision has been announced yet.
The main examination was earlier postponed amid the controversy, and uncertainty continues over the future of several recruitment processes.
New Delhi: The controversy surrounding recruitment examinations in Jharkhand has taken a major turn after the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested former Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) Chairman L. Khiangte in connection with alleged irregularities in the 14th JPSC Combined Civil Services Examination.
The arrest of a retired IAS officer who once served as Jharkhand’s Chief Secretary has intensified the debate over transparency in government recruitment exams. The key questions now are: Was the issue limited to examination irregularities, or does it point towards a larger network involving agencies and officials connected with the recruitment process?
Senior journalist Manoj Tibrewal Aakash analysed the ongoing JPSC controversy, student protests and the arrest of L. Khiangte in his popular show “The MTA Speaks.”
L. Khiangte is a 1988-batch retired IAS officer who held several important administrative positions in Jharkhand before becoming the state’s Chief Secretary.
After retirement, he was appointed Chairman of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) in February 2025. The commission is responsible for conducting competitive examinations for various government posts in the state.
During his tenure, several recruitment examinations were conducted. However, some of these exams later came under scrutiny over allegations of irregularities, leading to a CID investigation.
The biggest controversy emerged around the 14th JPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination. After the declaration of results, candidates and student organisations raised concerns over the examination process.
Allegations were made that irregularities took place and that some candidates may have received unfair advantages. Following these complaints, Jharkhand CID began investigating the matter.
During the probe, investigators searched the JPSC office and collected several documents and electronic evidence, including OMR sheets, admit cards, mark sheets, computers and mobile devices.
The investigation later expanded beyond the examination results and focused on the agency responsible for conducting the exam.
The name of TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL) emerged during the probe. The company was reportedly involved in handling important aspects of the examination process.
Questions were raised over the selection process of the agency, especially allegations that the company had previously faced action in Jharkhand. Investigators are examining how the agency was awarded the examination-related work and whether proper procedures were followed.
The CID is also looking into the possible role of officials and individuals involved in the decision-making process.
The arrest of L. Khiangte is part of the ongoing investigation and does not mean that he has been declared guilty. The final decision will depend on evidence presented before the court.
Khiangte had earlier been questioned multiple times by the CID. Reports suggest that investigators questioned him for several hours regarding the selection of the examination agency, procedures followed during the exam and other related issues.
He had also resigned from the post of JPSC Chairman, stating that he wanted to ensure an impartial investigation and avoid any questions regarding his position.
The investigation has now moved beyond a single individual. The CID is examining whether there was a larger organised irregularity in the examination process.
Earlier, several people were arrested in connection with the case, including JPSC Deputy Controller of Examination Shweta Gupta and individuals linked with the examination conducting agency.
The CID has also reportedly sealed offices of TDPL in Ranchi and Lucknow as part of the investigation.
Officials are examining documents, electronic evidence and records related to the entire examination process.
The controversy has intensified student protests across Jharkhand. Thousands of aspirants have been demanding transparency in JPSC and JSSC recruitment examinations.
Students are demanding an impartial investigation, strict action against those responsible and a transparent recruitment system.
The biggest question now remains whether the 14th JPSC examination will be cancelled or conducted again. No final decision has been announced yet.
The main examination was earlier postponed amid the controversy, and uncertainty continues over the future of several recruitment processes.
The CID investigation is expected to continue, with further questioning of arrested individuals and examination of evidence.
If investigators find sufficient evidence, a chargesheet may be filed and the matter will move before the court.
At the same time, the government and JPSC will have to decide the future course of action regarding disputed examinations. Cancelling an examination could affect thousands of candidates who prepared for it, while ignoring serious allegations could damage trust in the recruitment system.
The arrest of L. Khiangte has pushed the JPSC controversy into a critical phase. A former Chief Secretary and JPSC Chairman is now at the centre of an investigation into alleged recruitment irregularities.
However, the final truth will emerge only after the completion of the CID probe and judicial proceedings.
For thousands of students in Jharkhand, the biggest question remains unchanged, when will they get a recruitment system they can trust without doubts over fairness and transparency.
The investigation has entered a crucial stage, and all eyes are now on what action the CID takes next, whether more arrests follow and what decision is taken on the future of the disputed examinations.
