Jharkhand Bar Council files plea in high court against state order banning internet due to JSSC exam

Jharkhand Bar Council chairman Rajendra Krishna moved the high court on Saturday, challenging the state government’s decision to shut down internet services in the state for around six hours on Saturday and from 8 am to 1:30 pm on Sunday, in light of the competitive examination being conducted by the Jharkhand Staff Service Commission (JSSC).

The state home department issued an order late Friday night, banning internet services from 8 am to 1:30 pm on Saturday and Sunday to prevent unfair practices during the combined graduate level examination conducted by the JSSC.

While the decision sparked sharp criticism from the principal opposition the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which described the decision as “impractical” and “laughable”, the Bar Council chairman filed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a stay on the government order.

A division bench of justices Anand Sen and Anubha Rawat Chaudhary refused to stay the matter but directed the state to file a reply within four weeks.

“The bench did not pass a stay order as the restrictions for Saturday had already passed, and Sunday is a public holiday. However, the court observed that while the state is empowered to impose such restrictions, the question remains whether it can do so to conduct an exam. The state has been asked to file a reply within four weeks,” said Krishna.

Around 640,000 aspirants are expected to appear for the examination, conducted at around 823 centres across the state. This exam was cancelled in January this year after allegations of a paper leak. The case is being investigated by a special investigation team (SIT) of the Jharkhand Police, which has already arrested around half a dozen accused.

The order issued by home secretary Vandana Dadel late Friday night prohibited “mobile internet, mobile data, and mobile Wi-Fi services of all service providers”. However, the government clarified that “voice calls and broadband connectivity based on fixed telephone lines may remain operational during the aforementioned period”.

Explaining the reason for the ban, the Jharkhand government stated, “It has been observed in previous instances that some unscrupulous individuals resorted to unfair practices using various mobile applications, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, X (Twitter), Telegram, and YouTube, which rely on internet/Wi-Fi connectivity.”

“The government of Jharkhand seeks to eliminate any loopholes in the examination process that may raise doubts in the public mind regarding the integrity of the recruitment process, potentially leading to law and order issues that could impact public safety,” the statement added.

However, the decision evoked a war of words between the opposition and the ruling front.

In a detailed social media post, Jharkhand BJP president Babulal Marandi demanded the withdrawal of the order. Marandi noted that aspirants from other states are also participating in the JSSC CGL exam, and this prohibition is causing them discomfort.

He argued that the Internet has become an inseparable part of daily life, including education, banking, government offices, hospitals, and courts, and that the decision could affect economic activities.

“Hemant ji, why only the internet? You can also ban people from leaving their homes. You can also impose a curfew. You should withdraw this order, which was imposed without any prior notice, merely to insulate your failures. People are now fully aware that your government is not competent enough to hold a fair exam,” said Marandi.

However, Congress leader and state rural development minister Irfan Ansari hit back, saying the BJP was opposing the move to disrupt the examination.

“We know their intention. Strict orders have been given to the administration as these people can enter the centres and create chaos by making baseless allegations of paper leaks. The internet can be shut down when the Prime Minister arrives, but it can’t be prohibited for the welfare of students?” said Ansari.