HC appoints ex-judge as panel chair to look into 2016 teacher exam ‘anomalies’

Ranchi: Jharkhand high court on Tuesday appointed retired judge Justice Gautam Kumar Chaudhary as chairperson of the fact-finding committee constituted to look into irregularities in the 2016 Trained Graduate Teachers Combined Competitive Examination conducted by the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission.The bench of Justice Deepak Roshan, while hearing a petition filed by Meena Kumari and several others, directed the govt to ensure that all logistics and infrastructure are provided to Justice Chaudhary in order to enable him to conduct proceedings.The court further observed that the committee should analyse all aspects of the matter and furnish its report within three months. Earlier, former judge Justice S N Pathak was appointed as chairperson of the committee, who declined, following which Justice Chaudhary was appointed.More than 25,000 vacancies of govt school teachers across the state were to be filled through the 2016 examination. Several candidates subsequently filed petitions alleging anomalies in the examination process and checking of answer papers of candidates.Kumari stated that there was a gross error in preparing the merit list by the commission. She further stated that candidates who have secured more than the cut-off marks have not been shortlisted for appointment, while those with lower marks have been selected.She said that she had herself secured more than the cut-off marks but was not given an appointment. Kumari added that if there are still vacancies in posts of high school teachers, then her candidature should be accepted for appointment.