Bokaro: The Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) on Sunday cancelled exams for two subjects of the Jharkhand Eligibility Test (JET)-2024, following reports of a shortage of question papers and readability issues at two centres in Bokaro and Ranchi.
JET is conducted to shortlist candidates for the posts of college and university teachers. According to an official release issued on Sunday, the commission received complaints regarding the lack of availability of sufficient question papers and the presence of unreadable questions during the test.
The issues first surfaced at Sardar Patel Public School in Bokaro, where candidates appearing for the Education subject reported a shortage of question papers. Several candidates also alleged that some question papers were not legible, creating confusion and delays at the centre. A similar problem was reported at ASTVS District CM School of Excellence in Ranchi, where candidates appearing for Odia faced similar issues.
Chaos unfolded at the Bokaro centre after candidates alleged that question papers for Education did not arrive at the centre on time, forcing them to wait for hours without clarity. Candidates said they had travelled long distances, some even from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, to appear for the exam.
“We were waiting for nearly two hours, but no question paper was provided. We were simply made to sit there,” Ramesh, a candidate who came from UP’s Mirzapur, said, adding that many aspirants had reached Bokaro on Saturday night. Another examinee, Shabnam, who came from Patna, claimed the test was being held after nearly 18 years, making the disruption even more frustrating.
“This was a rare opportunity. We prepared seriously, but the paper never came,” she said. As confusion grew, students staged a protest outside the centre, demanding cancellation and a fresh date. Some alleged that only one set of papers had arrived. They were informed that another was sent to Dhanbad by mistake.
The unrest prompted district officials and security personnel to be deployed at the venue. Following these developments, the commission announced the cancellation of both exams with immediate effect. “Fresh dates and further instructions for the rescheduled examinations will be announced separately,” the release added.
