High Court Orders Timeline for Filling Vacant JPSC Chairperson Post

Hearing a separate suo motu case on officer shortages in the state Forest Department, a Jharkhand High Court division bench of Chief Justice M.S. Sonak and Justice Rajesh Shankar directs the state government to submit a clear timeline by Sep 10 for appointing a new Chairperson and members of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission. The post has sat vacant since L. Khiangte resigned as JPSC Chairperson on Jul 22 amid the recruitment-fraud probe; the bench notes that Forest Department recruitment (Assistant Conservator and Range Forest Officer posts), itself advanced to final stages before being cancelled, cannot proceed without a functioning commission, and stresses that 'the post of its Chairperson cannot be allowed to remain vacant for an extended period.'