Jharkhand class IV recruitment in limbo: One year after freeze, over 35,000 applicants await decision on 585 Palamu posts
Daltonganj, July 18: More than a year after the Jharkhand government put the recruitment process for 585 Class IV (Group D) posts…
Daltonganj, July 18: More than a year after the Jharkhand government put the recruitment process for 585 Class IV (Group D) posts in Palamu district on hold, over 35,000 applicants continue to await clarity on whether the recruitment will proceed. The prolonged delay has left thousands of aspirants in limbo despite the applications having been received and digitised before the exercise was suspended.
The recruitment drive, announced in 2025, attracted more than 35,000 applications for 585 vacant Class IV posts in Palamu. Administrative sources said that over 300 of the advertised vacancies were reserved-category posts. The administration had also completed the digitisation of applications before the process was halted.
Recruitment Halted After Statewide Protests
The recruitment exercise sparked widespread protests after the administration proposed selecting candidates on the basis of Class 10 marks instead of conducting a written examination.
While a small section supported merit-based selection, opposition quickly gathered momentum, with job aspirants demanding a written test to ensure a fair recruitment process. Protesters organised demonstrations, street marches and slogan-shouting campaigns against the Palamu administration, creating considerable political pressure on elected representatives, including MLAs and ministers, according to administrative sources.
Responding to the growing unrest, the Jharkhand Personnel Department (Karmik Vibhag) issued a notification on July 14, 2025, postponing the entire recruitment process. The decision followed a resolution adopted by the State Cabinet on July 11, 2025.
Minister Recalls Cabinet Decision
Jharkhand Finance Minister Radha Krishna Kishore said the decision to suspend the recruitment was taken because the state lacked a uniform policy governing Class IV appointments at the time.
“It has been a year since the recruitment was put on hold. I had moved the proposal in the Cabinet meeting on July 11, 2025, to postpone the recruitment until the state framed its own rules and regulations. The Cabinet accepted the proposal,” Kishore told The Jharkhand Story Network.
He added that he would first review the current status before commenting on whether the recruitment for the 585 posts would now resume.
New Recruitment Rules Introduced
Administrative sources said the Jharkhand government framed and approved new recruitment rules within four months, notifying them in November 2025 through an Extraordinary Gazette.
The new rules introduced a significant change by replacing the designation Class IV employee with Multi-Purpose Worker (MPW). Under the revised framework, an MPW is expected to perform multiple duties beyond traditional peon responsibilities, including operating office equipment such as generator sets and handling other support functions.
However, officials said these new recruitment rules do not automatically apply to the 585 vacancies advertised in 2025 because the recruitment process is linked to directions issued by the Supreme Court.
Supreme Court Timeline Adds Legal Complexity
According to administrative sources, the Supreme Court, in its judgment dated February 10, 2025, had directed that the recruitment process for the Class IV posts be completed by August 9, 2025. The subsequent Cabinet decision to suspend the recruitment has complicated the implementation of that timeline.
Officials said the legal position would need to be examined before any decision is taken on reviving the recruitment process.
Fresh Advertisement, Written Test Likely
Sources in the Personnel Department indicated that if the recruitment exercise is revived, the government is likely to introduce two major changes.
The first would be cancellation of the earlier recruitment advertisement and issuance of a fresh notification. The second would be conducting a written examination, replacing the earlier proposal to prepare the merit list solely on the basis of Class 10 marks.
Relief for Existing Applicants on Application Fee
Officials also indicated that applicants who had already paid the application fee through bank drafts or India Postal Orders, which have since been encashed by the administration, may not be required to pay the fee again.
Instead, they may only need to submit a brief application mentioning details of their earlier payment, including the bank draft or postal order number, date and amount, an official said on condition of anonymity.
