Jharkhand HC allows offline forms for special education teacher exam, questions JSSC
Ranchi, February 5: The Jharkhand High Court has taken a firm stand on delays and procedural lapses in teacher recruitment processes conducted…
Ranchi, February 5: The Jharkhand High Court has taken a firm stand on delays and procedural lapses in teacher recruitment processes conducted by the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), passing important directions in two related matters concerning Special Education Assistant Teachers and Assistant Teacher recruitment results.
Offline Applications Allowed in Special Education Teacher Case
Hearing two connected writ petitions, Justice Ananda Sen permitted certain candidates seeking age relaxation to submit offline application forms for the Jharkhand Intermediate & Graduate Trained Special Education Assistant Teacher Combined Competitive Examination (JIGTSEATCCE-2025).
The Court noted that the post of Special Education Assistant Teacher was advertised for the first time after several years and that the dispute surrounding recruitment had remained pending since 2016, eventually reaching the Supreme Court. Considering these exceptional circumstances, the Court directed the JSSC to accept offline applications only till the last date, without granting any extension.
While allowing the petitioners to appear in the examination, the Court clarified that:
- Any discrepancies in the offline forms may be corrected within one week
- Participation in the examination does not confer eligibility or any equitable right
- Results of these petitioners shall not be declared without the Court’s permission
The respondents have been directed to file counter-affidavits, and the matter will be listed after eight weeks.
High Court Seeks Explanation on Delayed Assistant Teacher Results
In a separate but related case, the High Court expressed strong concern over the delay in releasing the complete results of the Assistant Teacher recruitment examination conducted under Advertisement No. 13/2023.
The Court directed the JSSC Secretary to file an affidavit, explaining: personally
- When the complete results will be released
- Why results are being declared in small batches instead of all at once
Only Partial Results Released Despite Vacancies
Petitioners informed the Court that out of nearly 11,000 vacant Assistant Teacher posts (Classes I–V), results for only 4,333 candidates have been published so far, leaving more than 3,500 posts pending. Despite successful document verification and no detected discrepancies, many candidates are still awaiting their results.
The petitioners argued that releasing results in batches of 50–100 candidates violates the principles of fairness and is contrary to the Supreme Court’s direction in the Parimal Kumar judgment, which mandates the declaration of complete results together.
Court Signals Strict Scrutiny Ahead
The High Court’s directions indicate growing judicial scrutiny of recruitment delays and administrative inconsistency by the JSSC. The affidavit sought from the JSSC Secretary is expected to clarify timelines and accountability in the coming weeks.
