Bhubaneswar: In a bid to ensure transparency and prevent question paper leaks, the Odisha Government has decided that all question papers for recruitment examinations will henceforth be printed exclusively in government press.

Surendra Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary of the General Administration and Public Grievance Department, has issued a directive to all recruitment agencies and district collectors in this regard. Detailed guidelines have also been circulated for the conduct of recruitment exams across departments.

According to the new policy, all recruitment tests will be held in government colleges and universities. A dedicated printing press unit will be set up to handle the printing of question papers, with senior government officials overseeing the process from printing to transportation and delivery at examination centres. Strict security protocols will be followed, including sealing question papers on both sides and deploying senior OAS officers, police officials, and other department representatives for secure transport. For Odisha Police recruitments, an IG-rank officer will be in charge.

To strengthen surveillance, Artificial Intelligence-based monitoring will be introduced at exam centres. CCTV live-streaming will be monitored by the Odisha Computer Application Centre (OCAC) or the National Informatics Centre (NIC). The Integrated Command & Control Centre will oversee operations to ensure efficiency and accountability.

For online examinations, multifactor authentication will be mandatory, and the opening of question papers will be videographed. No external items will be allowed inside test centres, while systems, internet connectivity, and technical infrastructure will be checked in advance.

The government has also clarified that no outsourcing agency will be allowed to conduct recruitment examinations, underscoring its zero-tolerance approach toward malpractice in both online and offline modes.