Odisha: State Cabinet Approves Proposal to Amend Odisha Civil Services Rules

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approved a proposal to amend Odisha Civil Services (Combined Competitive Recruitment Examination) Rules-1991.

In order to reduce the burden on the candidates for preparation of the Odisha Civil Services Examination and Civil Services examination conducted by the UPSC separately due to separate pattern of examination/syllabus, the Government has decided to amend the existing provisions of the Odisha Civil Services (Combined Competitive Recruitment Examination) Rules, 1991 in consonance with the provisions made by UPSC in connection with pattern/scheme and subject of the examination for Central Civil Services Examination so that candidates can prepare themselves for the Civil Services Examination conducted by the OPSC and UPSC simultaneously, according to an official press note.

As per provision, the candidates appearing for Odisha Civil Services Examinations, conducted by the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC), will have to choose only one optional subject for the Main written examination.

Previously, it was mandatory that the candidates would choose two optional subjects for the Main written examination.

The candidates will have to write four papers on general studies in the Main written examination. Previously, there were only two papers on general studies in the exam.

Earlier, the candidates were appearing for 2,250 marks in the Main written examination and personality test for the Odisha Civil Services.

With the amendment to the Odisha Civil Services Rules, the candidates will have to appear for 2,000 marks in the Main written examination and personality test for the civil services.

Due to changes in the examination pattern in above manner will require time for candidates to adapt to the revised pattern of the examination.

As such it has been proposed to revise the attempt to appear the examination in the following manner;
(i) for candidates belonging to Unreserved Category – 6 (Six) attempts.
(ii) no limit has been prescribed for candidates belonging to S.C. & S. T. category.
(iii) for candidates belonging to the Socially and Educationally Back Ward Classes (Nine) attempts.

The Cabinet also approved a proposal for Framing of the Odisha Civil Services (Method of Examination in Odia Medium) Rules, 2022.
Now the candidates will have the choice to write the civil service Main exams in English. But, they have to excise this option while filling up the forms. They can also face the personality test of interview in English.

“In order to improve the odia language, it has been proposed to prescribe enabling provisions by way of framing an omnibus Rules to the effect that, the candidates shall the answer the questions in Odia language except the Language subject. However, the candidates who desire to answer the papers and/or to face the Interview in English language, must exercise option at the time of filling up the Application form for the Examination”, according to a official statement.