Bhubaneswar, Jan 3: The Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) has released the notification for the 2025 state civil services examination, excluding vacancies for major Group A services such as Odisha Administrative Service (OAS), Odisha Finance Service (OFS), and Odisha Revenue Service (ORS). The announcement has raised questions over inter-departmental coordination and fueled discontent among aspirants statewide.
According to the notification issued on December 31, 2025, 314 vacancies were announced across seven services, including 104 posts reserved for women. The only Group A service included is the Odisha Police Service (OPS), with 12 vacancies. Group B services such as Odisha Taxation and Accounts Service and Odisha Labour Service have 176 and 98 posts, while Odisha Skill Development and Employment Service, Odisha Tourism Service, Odisha Excise Service, and Odisha Cooperative Service have 10, 8, 6, and 4 vacancies, respectively.
Over a third of these vacancies are backlogs from previous years, with 115 posts unfilled due to selected candidates not joining or leaving for other opportunities. The Odisha Labour Service has the highest backlog at 80 posts.
Sources in OPSC clarified that the commission does not decide the number of vacancies but relies on lists provided by the General Administration and Public Grievance (GAPG) Department. Conflicts between the Finance, Revenue, and GA departments over service rules and cadre management have contributed to the situation, stalling promotions and entry-level posts in key services.
Advocate Rajat Kumar Mishra, a recruitment reformer, termed the situation “unfortunate and surprising,” highlighting that even top-ranking candidates may miss out on their dream services due to government departmental inefficiencies. He urged the Chief Minister, as head of the GA department, to intervene and resolve the issue promptly.