Odisha ASO Exam row: HC directs OPSC to notify fresh merit list within 6 weeks

Cuttack: In fresh development in Odisha ASO Examination-2022 conducted by OPSC (Odisha Public Service Commission), the High Court of Orissa directed the state agency to release new merit list of candidates within six weeks.

Hearing a petition today, the High Court directed the OPSC to execute the court’s previous order.

On May 19, the High Court had ordered the OPSC to prepare a fresh merit list adhering to the Odisha Secretariat Service (Method of Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2016 and notify it within two months.

The judgement had come on a petition filed by five candidates, who were not in the list of shortlisted candidates prepared by the OPSC. They had moved the court challenging the introduction of cut-off marks for preparing the merit list after the written examination.

The written examination was conducted on August 27, 2022. Total 1,48,888 candidates had appeared in the examination for recruitment of 796 ASOs, of them 1,104 were selected for document verification and skill test.

Recently on July 31, the court had rejected two petitions for review and recall of its order that had quashed the merit list prepared by the OPSC for recruitment of ASOs in Group B posts of Odisha Secretariat Service.