Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh Rajya Chayan Aayog has finally declared the long-awaited results for the Junior Office Assistant (JOA) IT Post Code 817, concluding a four-year recruitment process marked by delays and controversies. A total of 1841 candidates have successfully qualified and been allotted departments, bringing a sense of relief to thousands of applicants who had been waiting anxiously for the outcome.
The recruitment process, which began in October 2020, has faced numerous obstacles, including legal challenges and a major paper leak scandal. The written examination, held on March 21, 2021, attracted over 1,07,878 candidates out of more than two lakh who applied. The examination aimed to fill 1867 posts, with categories including General Unreserved, General EWS, OBC, SC, and ST, among others.
However, the process was severely delayed when candidates of Post Code 556 obtained a stay order from the Himachal Pradesh High Court in July 2021, halting the typing test that was scheduled to follow the written exam. The situation was further complicated in December 2022, when a paper leak scandal emerged, implicating candidates from Post Code 817, leading to a comprehensive investigation by the state government.
After extensive scrutiny and a lengthy investigation, the newly constituted state commission was given the green light by the state government’s sub-cabinet committee to declare the results. The evaluation of documents for the shortlisted candidates was completed in June 2024, with 5220 candidates participating in this final phase.
Despite the progress, the results have not been entirely smooth. Thirteen posts reserved for the SC category under the Ward of Freedom Fighter quota remain vacant due to the absence of eligible candidates. Additionally, five posts from the now-dissolved Staff Selection Commission have not been filled. The results of eight candidates who were found to be involved in the paper leak scandal have been withheld, and these posts have also been left vacant for the time being.
The announcement of the results has also had an immediate impact on the candidates who had been protesting outside the State Selection Commission office. A group of candidates had been on a hunger strike for the past 21 days, demanding the release of the results. The declaration of the results brought an end to their protest.
Himachal Pradesh State Selection Commission Chairman RK Puruthi expressed relief that the process had finally concluded, stating, “The result of Junior Office Assistant Post Code 817 has been declared, and departments have been allotted to 1841 candidates who passed the examination. We are now focusing on addressing the remaining vacancies and resolving the issues related to the withheld results due to the paper leak scandal.”
As the recruitment process for JOA IT 817 draws to a close, the focus will now shift to filling the remaining vacancies and ensuring transparency and integrity in future examinations.
