OPSC ASO Exam Row: Orissa HC Puts Stay On Publication Of Final Mark List

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court on Friday put a stay on the publication of final marks of candidates in the examination for Assistant Section Officer (ASO) which had sparked a row amid allegation of irregularities in the selection process.

The High Court gave the order on a fresh petition filed on Wednesday. The court, however, directed the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC), which conducted the examination, to continue the computer proficiency test of the shortlisted candidates, sources said.

The HC directed the OPSC not to publish the final results without the permission of the court.

While the High Court had last month quashed the petitions filed by candidates alleging iregularities in the selection process of the ASO, a fresh petition has been filed in the court on Wednesday.

The new petition challenged the sectional cut-off mark in the selection process. The candidates have demanded release of the merit list instead. The Court had sought reply from the OPSC while fixing December 2 for hearing in the case.

It is pertinent to mention here that the High Court had directed the OPSC to publish the result of the recruitment examination as per the policy of 2016 and had also directed the government recruiting body to publish the marks of all the candidates who appeared in the examination.

Notably, the batch of previous petitions alleged irregularities in the selection process of ASO exam and claimed that OPSC had published the advertisement to fill up 796 posts of ASO but did not specify the method or conditions of selection.

Following allegations of irregularities in the selection process and demonstration by several aspirants, the OPSC released a statement terming all the allegations made by the aspirants as baseless and false.

The ASO exam was conducted by OPSC to fill up 796 (265 women) posts under the Odisha Secretariat Service and the result was published on November 7.