RANCHI: The Jharkhand High Court has sought a reply from the state government on its decision to ban the Internet across the state for more than five hours on Saturday for conducting the JSSC CGL (Combined Graduate Level) competitive examinations on September 21 and 22.
The government decision came after repeated cases of paper leaks. The home department ordered the suspension of internet from 8 am to 1:30 pm.
Hearing a PIL against the shutdown, a bench of high court judges Justice Ananda Sen and Justice Anubha Rawat Chaudhary asked the government about its policy for such a shutdown. It also asked if such a decision would be in force in case of all exams. The court also directed the state government to file a reply in the matter through an affidavit within four weeks.
State Bar Council chairman Rajendra Krishna, appearing on behalf of the petitioner, said due to the Internet shutdown, many jobs are being affected, directly impacting the people.
Arguing on behalf of the state government, the advocate general informed the court that “only mobile internet has been shut down as a precaution so that there is no disturbance in the exams.”
The opposition BJP termed the government order as another “decree” to hide its “failed” system. “When the Jharkhand government could not create a foolproof system to prevent malpractice, 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, asserting that it will cause a lot of inconvenience for the people. “The directive shows the failure of the state government to check unfair means in exams,” the BJP leader said. He also claimed that broadband services have also been suspended in the state along with mobile internet.
