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Jharkhand Judiciary Notification 2026 Exam Dates & Schedule [Check Now]
October 30, 2026
The Jharkhand Judiciary Exam 2026 is on hold at the Mains stage. JPSC had fixed the Civil Judge (Junior Division) Mains for 6 and 7 September 2026, but suspended all remaining exams in its 2026 calendar on 22 July 2026.
- Prelims was held on 10 March 2024, and 1,844 candidates cleared the revised result published on 5 June 2026.
- A new Mains date had not been announced yet.
Jharkhand Judiciary Exam 2026 Highlights
JPSC conducts the Jharkhand Judicial Services Exam to fill Civil Judge (Junior Division) posts in the state judiciary. Selection runs in three stages: prelims, Mains and a viva-voce.
The key facts for the current 138-post recruitment are below.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam name | Jharkhand Judicial Services Exam: Civil Judge (Junior Division) |
| Conducting body | Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC), for the Jharkhand High Court |
| Current cycle | Advertisement No. 22/2023, issued 14 August 2023 |
| Total posts | 138 |
| Prelims | Held 10 March 2024; revised result 5 June 2026 (1,844 qualified) |
| Mains | Scheduled 6–7 September 2026; suspended on 22 July 2026, new date awaited |
| Selection stages | Prelims (screening) → Mains (400 marks) → Viva-voce (100 marks) |
| Starting basic pay | ₹77,840 per month (J-1 scale) |
| Official website | jpsc.gov.in |
Jharkhand Judiciary Exam 2026: Current Status
The exam is paused between prelims and Mains. Prelims took place in March 2024, but the result went through several answer-key revisions and a Supreme Court order before JPSC settled it in June 2026.
What happened on 22 July 2026
JPSC’s Controller of Examinations ordered that every remaining exam in the Examination Calendar-2026 would stay suspended until further orders. That calendar, issued on 9 July 2026, had listed the Civil Judge written exam for 6 and 7 September 2026.
The order came during a CID investigation into a different JPSC exam, the 14th Combined Civil Services prelims. The Civil Judge exam was paused because the whole calendar was paused.
Jharkhand Judiciary Exam Dates 2026
The Jharkhand Judiciary prelims was held on 10 March 2024, and the revised result came on 5 June 2026. Mains, earlier set for 6–7 September 2026, is suspended until JPSC announces a new date. All key dates are below.
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Advertisement No. 22/2023 issued | 14 August 2023 | Done |
| Online application | 21 August – 21 September 2023 | Closed |
| Last date for fee payment | 27 September 2023 | Closed |
| Prelims admit card | 5 March 2024 | Released |
| Prelims exam | 10 March 2024 | Held |
| First prelims result | 2 July 2024 | Replaced |
| Final answer key | 1 June 2026 | Released |
| Revised prelims result | 5 June 2026 | 1,844 qualified |
| Mains document deadline | 5 August 2026, 5 PM | Closed |
| Mains exam | 6–7 September 2026 | Suspended |
| Interview and final result | After Mains | Awaited |
Jharkhand Judiciary Vacancy 2026
JPSC has not announced any new Jharkhand Judiciary vacancy in 2026. The current recruitment fills 138 Civil Judge (Junior Division) posts advertised under Advt. No. 22/2023.
| Category | Posts |
|---|---|
| Unreserved | 60 |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 28 |
| Backward Class-II (BC-II) | 15 |
| Economically Weaker Section (EWS) | 13 |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 12 |
| Backward Class-I (BC-I) | 10 |
| Total | 138 |
Jharkhand Judiciary Eligibility Criteria 2026
Jharkhand Judiciary eligibility tests on three conditions: an LLB degree, advocate enrolment, and an age of 22 to 35 years. Reserved-category relaxations apply to Jharkhand residents only.
| Requirement | Advt. No. 22/2023 |
|---|---|
| Qualification | Law degree (LLB) from a recognised university |
| Enrolment | Advocate under the Advocates Act, 1961, by the last date of application |
| Nationality | Indian citizen |
| Bar practice | Not required for this cycle |
How the Supreme Court’s 2026 practice rulings affect the next notification
The next Jharkhand notification will not follow the 2023 rules.
|
New Judiciary Eligibility Rule 2026 by Supreme Court The Supreme Court had restored the mandatory 3-year practice at the Bar for candidates applying for Civil Judge (Junior Division) exams through its judgment dated 20 May 2025. This requirement has now been substantially modified by a subsequent judgment in August 2026. Here are the changes as per the current judgement and judiciary practice rule:
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Jharkhand Civil Judge Age Limit 2026
The Jharkhand Civil Judge age limit is 22 to 35 years, counted as on 31 January 2023 for the current cycle. Women, SC, ST and PwD candidates from Jharkhand get a higher upper limit, as shown in the table below.
| Category | Minimum Age | Maximum Age |
|---|---|---|
| General / unreserved | 22 years | 35 years |
| Women (Jharkhand residents) | 22 years | 38 years |
| SC and ST (Jharkhand residents) | 22 years | 38 years |
| Persons with disabilities | 22 years | 45 years |
Jharkhand Judiciary Application Process 2026
Applications for Advt. No. 22/2023 closed in September 2023. The next cycle will open with a new advertisement on jpsc.gov.in. Based on how JPSC ran the last one, the process works like this:
- Read the advertisement in full, especially the eligibility, age cut-off and reservation rules.
- Register on the JPSC online application portal.
- Fill in personal, educational and Bar enrolment details exactly as they appear on your certificates.
- Upload your photograph and signature in the format JPSC specifies.
- Pay the fee online and save the receipt.
- Download and keep the submitted form. You may need to send a printed copy with documents if you clear prelims, as happened in this cycle.
Jharkhand Judiciary Application Fee 2026
Jharkhand Judiciary applicants paid ₹600 (general and other categories) or ₹150 (SC and ST of Jharkhand), plus bank charges, under Advt. No. 22/2023.
The category-wise fee is below; for how to apply, candidates can see the Jharkhand Judiciary application form.
Jharkhand Judiciary Exam Pattern 2026
The JPSC has divided the judiciary exam pattern into three stages. Prelims only screens candidates. Final merit is the total of Mains and Interview (viva-voce) marks, out of 500.
| Stage | Type | Papers | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preliminary | Objective (multiple choice) | 1 | 100 | 2 hours |
| Mains | Descriptive | 4 | 400 (100 each) | 3 hours per paper |
| Interview (Viva-voce) | Interview | – | 100 | – |
Jharkhand Judiciary Syllabus 2026
The Jharkhand Judiciary syllabus covers the CPC,BNSS/ CrPC, BNS/IPC, BSA/Evidence Act and Contract Act. Mains adds personal laws, commercial Acts, jurisprudence and a language paper.
Jharkhand Judiciary Prelims Syllabus 2026
Jharkhand Judiciary prelims covers five core law subjects, General English and General Knowledge in a single two-hour paper of 100 marks.
- One objective paper of 100 marks, two hours
- Law: CPC, IPC (BNS), CrPC (BNSS), Evidence Act (BSA), Contract Act
- General English: grammar, vocabulary, comprehension
- General Knowledge: science, history, geography, economy, Parliament, capitals, heritage, books and authors
Jharkhand Judiciary Mains Syllabus 2026
Jharkhand Judiciary Mains has four papers: three on law and one on Hindi and English. Each carries 100 marks and is written over three hours.
- Four descriptive papers, each of 100 marks and three hours
- Paper I: CPC, IPC (BNS), CrPC (BNSS), Evidence Act (BSA), Limitation Act
- Paper II: Contract, Sale of Goods, Negotiable Instruments, Arbitration, Transfer of Property
- Paper III: Hindu Law, Mohammedan Law, Rent Control, Specific Relief, Jurisprudence
- Paper IV: Hindi and English essay, précis, translation, paraphrase
Jharkhand Judiciary Interview Syllabus
The viva-voce carries 100 marks, and the panel assesses how a candidate thinks rather than how much they remember. Interviews for judicial posts usually focus on:
- Viva-voce of 100 marks
- Command of core civil and criminal laws
- Reasoning on a given set of facts
- Awareness of recent Supreme Court and Jharkhand High Court rulings
- Judicial temperament: calm, fair and clear answers
Jharkhand Civil Judge Salary 2026
A newly appointed Civil Judge (Junior Division) starts at a basic pay of ₹77,840 per month in the J-1 scale, which runs up to ₹1,36,520. This is the Second National Judicial Pay Commission scale, which the Supreme Court accepted on 27 July 2022.
Dearness allowance, house rent allowance and other state allowances are paid on top. To compare pay across states, see the civil judge salary page.
| Stage | Pay Scale (₹ per month) |
|---|---|
| Civil Judge (Junior Division), entry: J-1 | 77,840 – 1,36,520 |
| First ACP, after 5 years: J-2 | 92,960 – 1,36,520 |
| Civil Judge (Senior Division), entry: J-3 | 1,11,000 – 1,63,030 |
Jharkhand Judiciary Preparation Tips 2026
Mains is fully descriptive, so answer quality decides your rank. These tips cover what moves marks across all three stages.
- Read the bare acts line by line, since most prelims questions test exact provisions
- Learn the BNS, BNSS and BSA section numbers alongside the old IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act
- Revise static GK and the last 12 months of current affairs, with a focus on Jharkhand
- Solve Jharkhand Judiciary previous year papers to spot repeated topics
- Write at least three timed Mains answers a week, three hours per 100-mark paper
- Structure every answer: issue, provision, case law, conclusion
- Practise Hindi and English translation, précis and essay daily for Paper IV
- Do one back-to-back mock of two papers in a day to build writing stamina
- Track recent Supreme Court and Jharkhand High Court judgments for the interview
- Take mock interviews to practise clear, calm answers
Best Books for Jharkhand Judiciary 2026
The best preparation for Jharkhand Judiciary pairs one standard textbook per subject with the bare act. Collecting several books on the same law adds little. The titles below cover the core subjects tested in both prelims and Mains.
The full list, including Paper IV language resources is on the best books for Jharkhand Judiciary page.
| Subject | Books |
|---|---|
| Civil Procedure | C.K. Takwani, Civil Procedure with Limitation Act |
| Criminal Law | Ratanlal & Dhirajlal, The Indian Penal Code |
| Criminal Procedure | Ratanlal & Dhirajlal, The Code of Criminal Procedure |
| Evidence | Batuk Lal, The Law of Evidence |
| Contract | Avtar Singh, Contract and Specific Relief |
| Transfer of Property | Mulla, The Transfer of Property Act |
| Hindu and Mohammedan Law | Mulla, Principles of Hindu Law and Principles of Mahomedan Law |
Jharkhand Judiciary Admit Card 2026
JPSC issues a separate admit card for each stage through the candidate login on its website.
For prelims, the link opened on 5 March 2024, five days before the exam. Only the 1,844 revised-list qualifiers will receive a Mains admit card.
Check your name, roll number, photograph and exam centre as soon as you download it. Report any error to JPSC before exam day, not at the centre. Candidates can download steps from the Jharkhand Judiciary admit card.
Documents Required for Jharkhand Judiciary Mains
JPSC Notice No. 2365 asked qualified candidates to send self-attested copies of these documents, with a printed copy of their online application:
- Matriculation certificate or marksheet, as proof of date of birth
- Law degree certificate and marksheets
- Advocate enrolment certificate under the Advocates Act, 1961
- Any higher qualification certificates
- Caste certificate in the prescribed format (non-creamy layer for BC-I and BC-II)
- Income and asset certificate, for EWS candidates
- Local resident certificate, if claiming reservation
- Disability, sports or no-objection certificates, where they apply
Jharkhand Judiciary Answer Key 2026
JPSC has released four Jharkhand Judiciary answer key for the 10 March 2024 prelims.
The latest one governs the current result.
| Date | Answer Key |
|---|---|
| 1 June 2026 | Final answer key, after the Supreme Court’s order of 9 February 2026 |
| 13 May 2024 | Revised and corrected answer key |
| 13 April 2024 | Revised model answer key |
| 29 March 2024 | Model answer key |
Jharkhand Judiciary Result 2026
The revised prelims result was published on 5 June 2026. To check it, open the result PDF and search for your roll number (Ctrl + F on a computer, Find on mobile); no login is needed. Mains and final results will follow the same route on jpsc.gov.in.
JPSC first released prelims results and category-wise cut-off marks on 2 July 2024. Those were replaced when the result was revised. Candidates can refer for more details on the Jharkhand Judiciary result .
Jharkhand Judiciary Cut-Off 2026
JPSC published category-wise prelims cut-off marks with the 2 July 2024 result. We have not seen a separate cut-off notice for the 5 June 2026 revised result.
Cut-offs depend on the number of posts, the number of candidates and the paper’s difficulty. Old ranges are a poor guide for a cycle in which the answer key changed twice.
How to Prepare for Jharkhand Judiciary Mains 2026
Every Mains paper is descriptive. The gap between a good score and an average one comes from answer quality, not from how much you have read.
- Mains allows 3 hours per 100-mark paper. Practise under that limit.
- Translation and precis marks come from daily practice. Read the same bare-act section in Hindi and English and note the legal terms in both.
- Work through the Jharkhand Judiciary previous year papers to see how Paper III frames Hindu and Mohammedan law questions.
- Two three-hour papers a day is six hours of writing. Do at least one back-to-back mock under the real shift timings.
- Track Jharkhand High Court rulings. Interview panels often ask about recent state judgments.
- JPSC gave only seven weeks’ notice for the September 2026 date, so a new date could arrive with a similarly short lead.
Key Takeaways
- JPSC set Civil Judge Mains for 6–7 September 2026, then suspended it on 22 July 2026; no new date has been announced yet.
- 1,844 candidates cleared the revised prelims result of 5 June 2026, for 138 posts under Advt. No. 22/2023.
- There is no new Jharkhand Judiciary notification in 2026, and applications for the current cycle closed in September 2023.
- Eligibility for this cycle was an LLB degree, advocate enrolment and an age of 22–35 years as on 31 January 2023.
- From 1 April 2027, new notifications will require one year of Bar practice under the Supreme Court’s August 2026 ruling.
- Selection runs through prelims, Mains (400 marks) and viva-voce (100 marks), with final merit out of 500.
- A Civil Judge (Junior Division) starts at a basic pay of ₹77,840 a month, plus allowances.
- Since Mains is fully descriptive, keep practising timed answer writing while the date is pending.
If you want a structured guidance, take a free demo online class or talk to a Judiciary Gold counsellor about the course.
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Nancy Mahavir Sharma
Legal Writer
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