Odisha Raises Upper Age Limit for Govt Jobs to 42, Removes OCS Attempt Cap

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday announced a series of measures aimed at providing greater opportunities to government job aspirants, including increasing the maximum age for recruitment from 32 to 42 years and scrapping the six-attempt limit for the Odisha Civil Services Examination.

Making the announcements during the 80th Independence Day celebrations in Bhubaneswar, Majhi said the changes were necessary in view of the intense competition for a limited number of government posts.

He said candidates will now be allowed to appear for the Odisha Civil Services Examination as many times as they wish until they reach the prescribed upper age limit.

The Chief Minister also announced relaxation of certain provisions governing compassionate appointments for families of government employees who die in service.

Strict action against exam irregularities

Majhi reiterated the state government’s zero-tolerance approach towards corruption and warned that strict action would be taken against anyone involved in examination-related malpractice.

He said the government has been pursuing corruption cases involving officials across different levels, from junior personnel to senior bureaucrats and retired officials. According to Majhi, the state’s anti-corruption measures have resulted in a conviction rate of more than 50 per cent in corruption cases.

Calling examination irregularities an “unpardonable crime”, the Chief Minister directed officials to ensure that recruitment examinations are conducted in a fair and transparent manner.

He warned that even minor lapses would invite immediate action and said the message should be clear to both examination-related officials and those involved in organised malpractice.

96% grievances resolved

Highlighting the government’s grievance-redressal initiatives, Majhi said around 15,000 public grievances have been heard during 18 sessions since his government assumed office.

He claimed that nearly 96 per cent of the grievances have been resolved, with the system now operating regularly from the state level down to the block level.

Majhi urged government employees and officials to discharge their responsibilities with transparency and integrity, saying the administration was closely monitoring their conduct.

The announcements are expected to provide additional opportunities to thousands of aspirants who have either crossed the previous age limit or exhausted the earlier maximum number of attempts for the Odisha Civil Services Examination.