Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Cabinet has approved regulations, reintroducing examination fee for those appearing in different recruitment tests for government jobs conducted by state agencies, with refunds for those who attend.
The Odisha Payment of Recruitment Examination Fees and Refund Rules, 2025, is aimed at reducing absenteeism in exams.
The candidates applying for government jobs will now have to pay a fee, which will be refunded to those who appear for the exam. However, those from Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) categories have been exempted from paying the examination fee.
This policy is expected to streamline the recruitment process and enhance the overall quality of applications. The recruiting agencies will determine the exact fee amount, and the refund process will be managed directly by them.
The Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC), Odisha Staff Selection Commission (OSSC) and Odisha Subordinate Staff Selection Commission (OSSSC) conduct examinations for different government posts and services throughout the year.
Currently, the absence of a fee leads to a high volume of applications, with many candidates not showing up, resulting in wastage of resources and logistical issues for the recruiting agencies.
On April 11, 2022, the then BJD government has removed application/examination fees, which ranged from ranged from Rs 350 to Rs 1,000, for all categories of candidates applying or appearing in such recruitment examinations.
