Ranchi, March 16: Jharkhand High Court today stayed till March 30 the appointments of successful candidates in the fifth civil services exam of Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) for not reserving adequate seats for the physically challenged, a fresh blow to the commission already facing charges of severe anomalies, including papers of over 600 mains candidates allegedly not being checked.

A two-member bench of Chief Justice Virender Singh and Judge S. Chandrashekhar was hearing an appeal filed by a JPSC examinee Vivek Kumar Singh demanding reservation of seats for physically challenged candidates.

Though the state government informed the court that it had requisitioned the JPSC to reserve five seats for the physically challenged candidates appearing in the fifth JPSC exams, the court said that wasn't enough.

As the total number of vacancies to be filled by successful JPSC candidates was 272, the court observed at least 15 seats should be reserved for physically challenged candidates.

Staying the appointment of successful candidates till March 30, when the case would be heard again, the court said it had already laid down the principle to be followed in reserving seats for physically challenged candidates in JPSC last year following a PIL filed by one Arun Kumar Singh.

Last year, the court fixed the parameters to appoint physically challenged candidates from among successful candidates in an arrangement of 1-33-67. Every first seat will go to a visually challenged candidate, 33rd to a candidate with audibility challenge and 67th to a candidate whose mobility is impaired.

The court also ordered the state and the JPSC to inform if the reservation quota was observed in the appointment process conducted by the government after the fourth JPSC civil services exams. The court tagged the matter along with a set of other PILs filed by former IPS officer P. K. Siddharth.