The Jharkhand High Court on Friday (August 21, 2026) stayed the notifications cancelling the appointments of Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) and those recruited through the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination.

The single Bench of Justice Deepak Roshan stayed the Jharkhand government’s decision to cancel the appointments and ordered that the services of the personnel and officials concerned be ensured.

“It is made clear that the learned Advocate General is directed to inform the concerned department to allow the petitioners as well as others, who are similarly situated and affected by this notification, to continue their work till disposal of the writ application,” the court order said.

The court delivered the order while hearing the petitions filed by affected persons — Subhash Murmu and others, Ashish Akshat and others, Ravi Kumar Hansda and Akanksha Minz and others.

Interim protection

The court order further said, “So far as the issue of interim protection is concerned, this Court feels that the interest of justice and balance of convenience is paramount and in the instant case, the balance of convenience is in favour of the petitioners; since, in effect, they have been terminated without following any due process of law. Further, operation of this notification is also against public interest.”

The court had on Thursday stayed the notifications cancelling the 11th and 13th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) exams. Amid a 25-day agitation over alleged recruitment irregularities, the JMM-led government on August 18 cancelled 22 exams and ordered a probe into 23 others conducted since 2014.

During the hearing, the court directed the government to file its response by September 7 and the petitioner is required to present their arguments by September 14. The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for September 15.

Mahto’s yatra

On the other hand, the JPSC-JSSC Nyay Manch faction led by Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) leader Devendra Nath Mahto announced ‘Bharti Sudhar Yatra’ (Recruitment Reform March) starting from Nemra, the ancestral village of late ‘Dishom Guru’ Shibu Soren, one of the founding members of ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), in the State.

The yatra will be launched across all district headquarters of the State starting August 24. Through the march, students and the general public will be informed about recruitment examinations and the forum’s demands.

Mr. Mahto said the Jharkhand High Court has given stay orders in the JPSC, CDPO, JSSC-CGL, and other matters. He alleged that although the State government has claimed numerous irregularities have come to light during the investigation, the government has failed to even submit the CID investigation report to the High Court.

“The students have struggled for a long time for their rights and their future, and the movement will not be allowed to weaken at any cost,” Mr. Mahto said while addressing the media at Press Club in Ranchi.

Students, JMM workers clash

Meanwhile, clashes took place between JMM workers and protesters of JPSC-JSSC Reform Manch when the latter hit the road to burn the effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The clashes took place in Giridih and Ranchi.

The JPSC-JSSC Reform Manch protesters claimed that JMM workers snatched the effigy from the hand of a girl student when she was going along with the other protesters at Albert Ekka Chowk in Ranchi to burn it. The JMM youth was caught and beaten up badly by the Manch protesters. Looking to save his life, the man entered an apartment but was chased and brought back into the crowd. Timely intervention by the police helped save the life of the youth and took him into custody.

Leader of the Opposition Babulal Marandi termed the assault on students as an act of repression. “It was extremely unfortunate that JMM goons attacked students in Ranchi, Giridih, and Hazaribagh — in the presence of the police — while they were proceeding to burn effigies as part of their pre-scheduled, peaceful programme. This is an attempt to murder democracy. The student movement was first undermined through deceit and conspiracy, and now, the anti-youth Hemant Soren government has resorted to hooliganism,” Mr. Marandi said.