Cuttack: Hundreds of MBBS graduates gathered outside the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) office in Odisha’s Cuttack city on Monday, demanding immediate issuance of appointment letters for the post of medical officer.
The protesters accused the state government and OPSC of apathy and inordinate delays despite successfully clearing the recruitment examination.
The OPSC had advertised for 5284 posts of Medical Officer in May 2025. Around 3,000 aspirants had appeared for the exam, out of which 1,840 candidates qualified for the posts. However, only 822 have received appointment letters and postings so far, leaving over 1,000 qualified doctors in limbo without any clear timeline or explanation from the authorities, they alleged.
The MBBS graduates further stated that they had apprised the state Health Minister about their plight, but no concrete action has been taken yet. They have threatened to intensify their agitation if this issue is not resolved soon.
Though the delay appears linked to a legal hurdle, the OPSC has not issued any statement on the matter.
In March 2026, the Orissa High Court flagged a breach of the 50 per cent reservation cap in medical officer recruitment process and allowed only partial appointments to address the state’s acute shortage of doctors, while directing further compliance. A writ petition filed by 82 applicant doctors alleged that the advertisement disproportionately increased reserved category, allocating 4,837 posts — 736 for SEBC, 920 for SC and 2,481 for ST — of the total 5,248 vacancies, leaving only 411 posts for unreserved candidates.
