JHARKHAND JUDICIAL SERVICE EXAMINATION SYLLABUS

JHARKHAND JUDICIAL SERVICE EXAMINATION SYLLABUS – The selection process for the Civil Judge (Junior Division) position consists of three stages: the Preliminary Entrance Test, the Written Main Examination, and the Viva-Voce Test (Oral Examination).

I. PRELIMINARY ENTRANCE TEST (OBJECTIVE TYPE)

The Preliminary Entrance Test (PET) is a written examination consisting solely of Multiple Choice Questions (Objective Type).

Syllabus for Preliminary Entrance Test

The syllabus for the Preliminary Entrance Test shall consist of the following subjects:

II. MAIN EXAMINATION (SUBJECTIVE TYPE)

The Main Examination is a Written Examination (Subjective). Candidates declared successful in this test shall be eligible for the Viva-Voce Test.

Detailed Syllabus for Main Examination

The Main Examination comprises four papers covering the following subjects:

Paper I: Procedural Law

• Procedural Law (The Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, and The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973).
• The Indian Penal Code, 1860.
• The Indian Evidence Act, 1872.
• The Limitation Act, 1963.

Paper II: Substantive and Commercial Law

• The Contract Act, 1872.
• The Sales of Goods Act, 1930.
• The Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881.
• The Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996.
• The Transfer of Property Act, 1882.

Paper III: Personal Law and Jurisprudence

• The Hindu Law and the Mohammedan Law.
• Rent Control Law.
• The Specific Relief Act, 1963.
• Jurisprudence.

Paper IV: Language

• Hindi & English.
• The topics covered include:
  • Essay.
  • Precise writing.
  • Translation.
  • Paraphrase (or Paraphrasing).

III. VIVA-VOCE TEST (ORAL EXAMINATION)

The Viva-Voce Test means an Oral Examination.

IV. INDUCTION TRAINING SYLLABUS (POST SELECTION)

Upon recruitment, the Induction Training for Civil Judge (Junior Division) emphasizes academic training, physical fitness, discipline, and judicial ethics.

Phases of Academic Training (25 Weeks Total)

The academic training at the Judicial Academy covers the following broad areas:

1. Attitude
   • Constitutional Vision of Justice (including Making of the Indian Constitution, Constitutional Values, and Role of Judicial system/District Judiciary).
   • Judiciary as “Guardian of Rights”.
   • Minimizing the impact of bias (Recognizing hidden bias and minimizing impact on decision making).
   • Mental Health (Overview and Powers and duties of Magistrates under MHA, 2017).
2. Judicial Ethics
   • Personality of a Judge.
   • Standards of Judicial Conduct.
   • Behavior.
   • Bangalore Principles/Code of Conduct for Judges (Independence, Impartiality, Integrity, Propriety, Equality, Competence and Diligence).
   • Canons of Judicial Ethics.
   • CCS (Conduct) Rules and CCS (CCA) Rules.
   • Recusal (Desirable and Mandatory).
3. Skills
   • Leadership (Team Building, Leading change, Strategies to deal with resistance).
   • Communication Skills (Reading, Active listening, Language- comprehension and expression, Verbal and Non-verbal communication, Writing orders, Judgment writing, Official correspondence).
   • Core Judicial Skills (Conducting of Judicial Process, Legal research, Legal reasoning, Fact finding, Identification of issues, Appreciation of evidence, Decision making, Dictating, editing and correcting judgments and orders).
   • Administrative/Management Skills (Court Management, Docket Management, Case flow management, Financial management, Time management, Stress management).
   • Information & Computer Technology (E-Courts, Use of computer & internet).
   • Personality Development (Public speaking, elocution, English speaking, debating, Social etiquette and manners, Gender norms, Hobby development, Cultural activities).

Focus on Local Laws (Third Academic Phase)

The third phase of academic training at the Judicial Academy (5 Weeks) places emphasis on Local Land and Revenue Laws, including:

• CNT Act.
• SPT Act.
• Jharkhand Schedule Area Regulation Act, 1969.
• Jharkhand Land Encroachment Act.
• Jharkhand Privilege Persons Homestead Tenancy Act.
• Customary Law among different tribes of Jharkhand.

Training Methodology

Training methods include Lectures, Writing of draft Judgments and orders, Role Playing, Mock Trials, Moot Court, Discussions on decisions of Important Cases, Actual working on Computers (including understanding cyber crime modalities), Weekly review/presentations, Communication skill development, and visits to institutions like the Jharkhand High Court, Jail, Police Stations, and Revenue Courts.

Field Training (Practical Work)

During the practical (Field) training phases, trainee judges observe Court Proceedings (Syllabus [A]) and focus on areas such as:

• Civil Side: Framing draft issues in suits for declaration and injunction, and other civil suits; writing model orders on Civil Subjects (where the order should contain facts in issue, arguments, reasons, and a citation of the Hon’ble Supreme Court or Hon’ble Jharkhand High Court).
• Criminal Side: Framing draft charges; formulating draft further statement of the accused under Section 313 of Cr.P.C.. Writing model criminal orders (e.g., Bail Orders, Orders U/s 91, 97, 155(2), 167(1), 167(2), 173(8), 202, 203, 204, 205, 209, 323, 311, 319, 320, 321, Remand Order, and orders under sections 70, 82, 83, 89 related to warrants and proclamation).
• Administrative Work: Observation of administrative work in the respective branches of the District Court. This includes verifying registers and cash books, studying Malkhanna procedures (Para 216 to 235 of the Criminal Manual), visiting the record room (verifying classification, preservation, storage, and destruction of old records), visiting the Copy Branch, Establishment Branch, Court Information System (CIS), and Filing Section.
• Trainee Judges are also required to prepare their own shadow orders/judgments after hearing arguments, which are evaluated periodically by the supervising Judge.