AJSU Leader Sanjay Mehta writes to CM, demands enactment of law for JPSC, JSSC reforms

Draft of the Jharkhand Education, Examination, Scholarship and Transparent Appointment (Transparency, Accountability and Institutional Reforms) Bill, 2026 submitted to the government

Sanjay Mehta has submitted a demand letter to the Chief Minister seeking reforms in the entire examination and appointment process, including JPSC and JSSC.

Mehta, former Hazaribagh Lok Sabha candidate and General Secretary of AJSU Party, has written a detailed letter to Chief Minister Hemant Soren demanding the earliest possible enactment of the Jharkhand Education, Examination, Scholarship and Transparent Appointment (Transparency, Accountability and Institutional Reforms) Bill, 2026, for a permanent solution to the deep-rooted problems in the state’s education system, competitive examination process, scholarship distribution and appointment procedures.

He has also sent the complete draft of the bill to the Chief Minister as a suggestion.

In his letter, Mehta stated that in the 25-26 years since the formation of Jharkhand, the conduct, management and appointment processes of the state’s competitive examinations (including JPSC and JSSC) have continuously been plagued by controversies, irregularities, paper leaks, delays and dependence on external agencies.

Welcoming some important decisions taken by the Chief Minister after the recent student movement, he clearly stated that merely the resignation or replacement of the Chairman and members of the Commission is not a permanent solution to the problem.

He wrote that the credibility of any institution cannot be left solely dependent on the credibility of individuals. At the time of announcing the cancellation of examinations, you had said that if the SOP had been followed, the problem would not have arisen. But an SOP is never binding; it can only serve as a guideline. Therefore, a strict law is necessary to fix the accountability of those holding responsible positions.

Sanjay elaborated in the letter that the fundamental problems in the state’s education system are also serious. Session delays in universities, the poor condition of schools, non-receipt of scholarships by students on time, and repeated irregularities in competitive examinations have severely affected the confidence of the youth. He said that mere change of individuals is not enough; institutional, procedural and technological reforms are the need of the hour.

Key provisions of the Bill

The draft sent by Sanjay is based on the National Testing Agency (NTA), Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the Office of Testing Integrity model of the Educational Testing Service (ETS) of the United States, the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, and other national and international best practices.

Major points of the draft prepared by Mehta:

•   Independent formation of Jharkhand State Testing Agency (JSTA): Sanjay has demanded that repeated assignment of work to external agencies is causing problems. Therefore, the state government should form its own government examination agency named Jharkhand State Testing Agency (JSTA). It will be headed by an officer of the rank of Additional Chief Secretary. This agency will handle the complete responsibility of conducting all state-level competitive and recruitment examinations, question paper management, centre management, digital and cyber security, and data analysis. The Commission will remain limited only to its constitutional role (recommendation of the selection list).

•   Strict action on examination offences: Formation of a Special Examination Offences Investigation Cell under the CID. Special courts and special public prosecutors for offences such as paper leaks, organised cheating, dummy candidates, cyber hacking, examination mafia and result manipulation. Disposal of cases within a maximum of 3-6 months. Provision for attachment/confiscation of the property of the guilty.

•   Annual examination calendar and time-bound appointment guarantee: Mandatory issuance of a fixed calendar for the coming year by 31 December every year. Target to complete the entire process from advertisement to appointment generally within 12 months. Strict timelines for each stage (e.g., preliminary examination 60-90 days after closing of applications, preliminary results within 30 days, etc.). Strict action, including possible dismissal, against the Chairman and responsible officers in case of violation.

•   Complete digitalisation and security: End-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication, QR code, geo-fencing, Computer-Based Test (CBT), biometric and face authentication, AI surveillance, live monitoring and centralised control room. Question paper setting will not be outsourced to private external agencies.

•   Post-examination transparency: Mandatory public release of provisional answer key within 72 hours of the examination, final answer key, marks of all candidates, cut-off, category-wise cut-off and category-wise selection list.

•   Time-bound guarantee for higher education and university sessions: Issuance of a prescribed academic calendar in all universities. Fixed timelines for commencement of session, examinations and declaration of results. Accountability of Vice-Chancellors/Principals in case of delay. Award of degrees within a maximum of 180 days from the date the students become eligible.

•   Scholarship system: Further strengthening of the centralised digital scholarship portal. Transfer of amount directly to the beneficiary’s account through DBT (Aadhaar-based) within a maximum of 30-45 days from the application. Action against responsible officers in case of delay.

•   Independent Oversight Committee: Formation of a high-level Independent Oversight Committee comprising a retired High Court Judge, former members of UPSC/State Public Service Commission, cyber security experts, education experts and representatives of civil society. The Committee will review from time to time and submit reports to the State Government and the Legislative Assembly.

•   Other important provisions: Public disclosure of annual property statements of Commission officers, mandatory transfer on sensitive posts every 2-3 years, E-option system, Candidate Facilitation Cell, grievance redressal portal, and compensation and age relaxation in case of cancellation of examinations.

Sanjay concluded his letter by writing that while fully accepting this suggestion, if you wish to make it more comprehensive, kindly take legal opinion from experts and present it as a Bill in the Legislative Assembly for passage.

This law will determine the future direction of the youth of Jharkhand. He wrote that he has full hope that you will definitely take a positive initiative on this subject.

He urged the Chief Minister to place this important matter before the Cabinet and present it firmly on the floor of the Legislative Assembly so that the young generation of Jharkhand can get a safe, transparent, time-bound and reliable examination and education system.