Odisha constable aspirants protest over age and reservation rules in Bhubaneswar
Thousands of candidates demonstrated against the Odisha Uniformed Services Staff Selection Commission regarding recruitment discrepancies for 7,268 constable posts.
Thousands of police constable aspirants held a protest in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday, targeting the Odisha Uniformed Services Staff Selection Commission (OUSSSC) over recruitment rules. According to Urban Acres, the demonstrators gathered outside the OUSSSC office and later staged a demonstration at Gandhi Marg.
The protesters are demanding changes to age eligibility and the implementation of reservation provisions for the 7,268 constable posts. They alleged that while the notification offers a five-year age relaxation for women and candidates from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) communities, no vacancies for reserved categories were shown in 23 police districts.
Aspirants also questioned why the notification mentions a two per cent SEBC quota instead of the government's announced 11.25 per cent. Regarding the Odisha Industrial Security Force recruitment, protesters objected to the 23-year upper age limit, stating that those who were under 18 in 2016 are now too old to apply.
The demonstrators claimed that previous notification discrepancies forced candidates to seek relief from the Orissa High Court, causing delays and financial strain. State Congress Student Wing president Bibhuti Bhushan Mahapatra joined the protest to support the aspirants.
A six-member delegation met with officials at the Chief Minister’s Office to discuss the grievances. The aspirants stated that the government has requested two days to examine their concerns.