Surendra Soren
Ranchi
In a significant step towards strengthening the legal framework against malpractice in government recruitment examinations, a special court has been constituted in Ranchi to hear cases involving paper leaks, cheating, use of unfair means and other irregularities in competitive examinations across Jharkhand.
The move comes amid growing demands from students and job aspirants for greater transparency and accountability in the state’s recruitment examination system following allegations of irregularities in several examinations.
The special court has been constituted on the recommendation of the state government and in compliance with directions of the Jharkhand High Court. The Principal District and Sessions Judge of the Ranchi Civil Court has designated the court of Additional Judicial Commissioner-I as the special court under Section 26 of the Jharkhand Competitive Examination (Measures for Control and Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Act, 2023.
Importantly, the court will exercise jurisdiction across the entire state and its mandate will not be confined to Ranchi district. Cases relating to unfair means, examination malpractice and other violations in competitive examinations conducted anywhere in Jharkhand can therefore be brought before the special court.
According to the order, all cases registered under Section 26 of the 2023 Act must be mandatorily entered into the Case Information System (CIS) under the category “Examination Case”.
The order has been issued in accordance with notifications of the Jharkhand High Court and the Principal Secretary-cum-Legal Remembrancer of the state Law Department.
The creation of a dedicated court is expected to strengthen the prosecution of those involved in examination malpractice and ensure more focused and expeditious handling of such cases. It is also being viewed as an important institutional measure at a time when concerns over recruitment examination irregularities have emerged as a major issue among students and government job aspirants.
Officials said the new arrangement would help improve the legal response to examination fraud, strengthen deterrence against the use of unfair means and facilitate faster disposal of cases related to irregularities in competitive examinations.
