Ranchi, July 14 (IANS): A large number of candidates staged a protest in Ranchi on Tuesday, alleging irregularities in the preliminary examination (PT) results of the 14th Combined Civil Services Examination conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC).

The aspirants, under the banner of the AJSU Students' Union, marched from Bapu Vatika to the JPSC headquarters and staged demonstrations outside the commission's office, demanding cancellation of the results and an independent probe into the entire recruitment process.

The protesters alleged that the commission created unnecessary suspicion by releasing the results late at night. They claimed that the result-related document did not bear the signature of any competent authority and that the cut-off marks had not yet been made public.

The candidates also demanded an examination of the CCTV footage from the commission premises on the night the results were declared.

The aspirants referred to a purported OMR sheet that has been circulating on social media.

According to them, the sheet indicates that a candidate secured 45 out of 45 correct answers in one paper and 97 correct answers in another. They demanded verification of the authenticity of the document and alleged that some candidates from outside Jharkhand may have received undue advantage in the selection process, while the interests of local candidates were overlooked.

During the protest, the students also questioned the commission's functioning. They pointed out that the answer key for the examination had been issued four times, which, they argued, had undermined the credibility of the recruitment process. The protesters further alleged that established rules and procedures were not properly followed while announcing the results.

A heavy police deployment was made outside the commission's office to prevent any untoward incident. The protesters warned that if their demands were not addressed promptly, they would intensify their agitation.

They threatened to block traffic on key stretches from Lalpur Chowk to Ratu Road if their demands were not met.

The candidates appealed to Chief Minister Hemant Soren to intervene and order a high-level enquiry into the examination results and the entire selection process. They also demanded that cut-off marks and other relevant details be made public and that strict action be taken against those found responsible for any alleged irregularities.

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This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.