Ranchi: The Jharkhand government has announced a comprehensive internet ban across the state to prevent malpractice during the upcoming Jharkhand General Graduate Level Combined Competitive Examination (JGGLCCE). The ban would be enforced from 8:00 AM to 1:30 PM on September 21 and 22, coinciding with the examination taking place at various centres across 24 districts.
The ban specifically targets “mobile internet, mobile data, and mobile Wi-Fi services from all service providers” throughout Jharkhand. However, officials clarified that “voice calls and broadband connectivity via fixed telephone lines may continue to operate during this period.”
The decision to impose the internet ban stems from previous instances where individuals exploited mobile applications such as Facebook, WhatsApp, X (formerly Twitter), Telegram, and YouTube—services reliant on internet connectivity—to engage in unfair practices. The Jharkhand government stated, “It has been observed in previous instances that some unscrupulous individuals resorted to unfair practices utilizing various mobile applications.”
Officials further emphasized, “We seek to eliminate any loopholes in the examination process that may raise doubts regarding the integrity of the recruitment process, potentially leading to law and order issues affecting public safety.”
With approximately 650,000 candidates expected to participate in the examination, the government is committed to ensuring that it is conducted “in a free, fair, and transparent manner,” allowing for the selection of the best candidates purely on merit. The Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission will oversee the examination.
The Opposition BJP in Jharkhand has termed the State Government Order to suspend mobile Internet services for five hours on Saturday and Sunday (September 21 and 22, 2024), in view of a competitive exam, as another “decree” to hide its “failed” system.
“When the Jharkhand government could not create a foolproof system to prevent malpractice in the examination, they shut down Internet for 3.5 crore people in the entire State,” BJP spokesperson Pratul Shadeo said. “It is another arbitrary decree to hide the failed system of the dispensation,” he said.
Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth also criticised the move to suspend mobile Internet services, asserting that it will cause a lot of inconvenience for people. “The directive shows the failure of the Jharkhand government to check unfair means in examinations,” the BJP leader said.
