Bhubaneswar: Civil services aspirants have voiced strong resentment over zero vacancies for the flagship Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) in Odisha Public Service Commission’s (OPSC) notification.
The notification for Odisha Civil Services Examination 2025 has announced recruitment to a total of 314 posts across seven services, including Odisha Police Service, Odisha Taxation & Accounts Service, Odisha Cooperative Service, Odisha Labour Service, Odisha Excise Service, Odisha Tourism Service, and Odisha Skill Development & Employment Service. Notably absent are posts in OAS, Odisha Finance Service (OFS), and Odisha Revenue Service (ORS).
For many candidates, landing an OAS role represents the pinnacle of achievement in state civil services. The exclusion of these core services — widely seen as the most sought-after — has been termed by aspirants as a major administrative oversight, dampening enthusiasm and raising questions about delays in the recruitment process.
OPSC Chairman Arun Kumar Sarangi clarified that the commission has no authority in determining vacancies. “We publish the notification based solely on the requisition provided by the General Administration & Vigilance Department,” he stated.
Sources indicate that inter-departmental disputes, particularly over cadre rules involving the General Administration, Finance, and Revenue departments, may have delayed or blocked the inclusion of OAS, OFS, and ORS posts.
In October last year, reports indicated that OAS posts might be excluded from the upcoming Odisha Civil Services Examination because of prolonged delays in promoting more than 300 OAS officers. The reason: The Odisha Civil Services Model Cadre Rules, prepared by the General Administration Department, were not accepted by the Finance and Revenue departments and alleged violations of these rules in granting promotions led to legal disputes.
Compounding the problem, different feeder cadres have operated under inconsistent rules—Odisha Revenue Service (ORS) personnel for OAS promotions and Odisha Taxation and Accounts Service (OTAS) for OFS. With the Revenue Department suspending promotions amid litigation, entry-level vacancies remain blocked, directly halting fresh recruitment into these services.
The online application process will commence on January 20, 2026, and close on February 20, 2026. The Preliminary Examination is scheduled for June 7, 2026. Candidates are advised to check the official OPSC website (www.opsc.gov.in) (www.opsc.gov.in) for the detailed notification and updates.
