No OAS Post in Odisha Civil Services Exam 2025, Aspirants Unhappy

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) has issued the notification for the Odisha Civil Services Examination 2025 with no vacancies for the OAS, OFS and ORS, causing disappointment among aspirants across the state.

The notification has announced recruitment to a total of 314 posts across seven services.

Aspirants’ Main Dream Missing

For most candidates appearing in the Odisha Civil Services Examination, becoming an OAS officer is the primary goal. However, this year’s notification does not include a single OAS post. The absence of OFS and ORS posts has further added to the frustration. As a result, thousands of aspirants feel deprived due to what they describe as serious administrative failure.

Earlier, in October last year, Sambad had reported that OAS posts might not be included in the Odisha Civil Services Examination due to delays in promotions of over 300 OAS officers.

Cadre Rules Dispute

According to information, the Odisha Civil Services Model Cadre Rules prepared by the General Administration Department have not been accepted by the Finance and Revenue departments. Promotions were allegedly granted in violation of these rules, leading to legal disputes.

Different rules were applied for different feeder cadres. One rule was followed for ORS, which is the feeder cadre for OAS, and another for OTAS, the feeder cadre for OFS. Citing the court case, the Revenue Department has stopped promotions. This has blocked vacancies at the entry level, affecting fresh recruitment.

Old Vacancies Dominate the List

Out of the total 314 posts notified this year, only 12 posts are in Group A for the Odisha Police Service. The highest number of posts, 176, is for the OTAS under Group B. Many of these posts were vacant earlier, as selected candidates did not join. Of the 314 posts, 115 vacancies are from previous years, as selected candidates did not join. Another 199 posts are shown as vacant due to retirements.

OPSC Clarification

OPSC Chairman Arun Sarangi said the commission published the notification strictly based on the vacancy list provided by the General Administration Department. OPSC has no role in deciding the number of posts and can only act on the information provided by the government.