Odisha cabinet removes attempt limit for civil services exam
Eligible candidates can now sit for the OCS examination any number of times until they reach the age limit.
The Odisha cabinet has approved an amendment to the Odisha Civil Services (Combined Competitive Recruitment Examination) Rules, 1991, to remove all restrictions on the number of attempts for the OCS examination. According to reports from Urban Acres, Odisha Bytes, and Pragativadi, the decision was made during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
Under the previous rules, general category candidates were restricted to six attempts and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) candidates were allowed nine. While Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes had no limit, the new amendment removes these category-wise numerical restrictions for all.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg stated that candidates may now take the exam as many times as they wish, provided they stay within the required age and other eligibility requirements. The upper age limit for general category candidates is 42 years.
The government said the change is intended to provide fairer and wider opportunities for merit-based selection. This move fulfills a promise made by Chief Minister Majhi during his Independence Day speech.
The cabinet also approved amendments to the Odisha Superior Judicial Service and Odisha Judicial Service Rules, 2007, following directions from the Supreme Court of India. This aims to increase opportunities for new law graduates and improve training for entry-level judicial officers.
The amended rules will be applied in future OCS recruitment notifications as the state implements the new framework.