JSSC-CGL Leak Row: CID Report Says 120 Questions Were Leaked

Ranchi, August 09, 2026 A fresh controversy has emerged over the 2024 Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination after documents from the state CID investigation revealed details of an alleged paper leak. The findings have surfaced amid continuing student protests in Ranchi, where demonstrators are demanding greater transparency and reforms in the state's recruitment examination system. The JSSC-CGL examination was conducted on September 21 and 22, 2024, after an earlier examination was cancelled following allegations of a paper leak. Ahead of the re-examination, the Jharkhand government suspended internet services across the state to prevent any further malpractice. However, according to the CID report, the alleged leak network continued to operate, with examination papers reportedly being circulated through WhatsApp. Candidates who paid for the leaked material were allegedly provided answers at several locations, including Hazaribagh, Jamshedpur, Patna, West Bengal and Nepal. An aspirant also claimed that answers were communicated through landline phones and dictated to candidates. "We received the answers, not questions. After the exam, it was confirmed that the answers were correct. The report was also submitted to court," Jeet Kumar said. Kumar and other aspirants have approached a Ranchi court over the matter. He pointed to photocopies of the answers, saying some candidates had written them down while discussing the questions with friends. One image reportedly carried a timestamp of 7:23 am on September 22, 2024, shortly before the examination, and showed Bishnupur in Jamshedpur as its location. The CID completed its investigation in March 2025 and, according to its initial report, concluded that 120 of the 150 questions had been leaked. Despite the CID findings, the state government later shelved the report and ordered a second investigation through an SIT. The subsequent inquiry effectively rejected the paper-leak allegations and gave the examination a clean chit, with no further progress reported. The issue gained renewed momentum after similar paper-leak allegations emerged during the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) examination, triggering widespread student protests. Led by student leader Devendra Nath Mahto, the agitation at Ranchi's Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium has entered its 16th day, while several rounds of discussions between student representatives and the government have failed to produce a resolution. Jharkhand Minister Deepika Singh, who participated in talks with the protesting students, acknowledged their concerns and said the government was prepared to address them. "The students have offered excellent suggestions and raised valid concerns. The government is ready to address them. We simply need to wait a little and see what happens next," she said. With students continuing to demand action and greater safeguards in recruitment examinations, the JSSC-CGL controversy has once again raised questions over the credibility, transparency and accountability of competitive examinations in Jharkhand.