OSSC, OPSC exams blunder: Odisha Minister assures stern action

In the wake of serious irregularities detected during the recently held OSSC and OPSC examinations, the Odisha government has announced that strict action will be taken against those found responsible. Speaking to reporters, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj on Monday assured that those found guilty party will not be spared.

What The Minister Said?

The Minister stated that the concerned departments associated with the conduct of these examinations would carry out thorough investigations into the lapses. He emphasized that the government had, in the recent past, introduced and passed a Bill in the Legislative Assembly to ensure stricter measures against such examination-related discrepancies.

 "Whoever is found guilty will face strict action under the law," the Minister affirmed.

The controversy erupted after glaring errors were found in both the OSSC and OPSC exams held on Sunday. In the case of the Odisha Staff Selection Commission (OSSC) examinations for the posts of Excise Sub-Inspector and Traffic Sub-Inspector, candidates were shocked to find that the questions appeared were from the Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examination. 

Aspirants, who had prepared according to the prescribed syllabus focusing on Odia, English, and General Knowledge, were left dismayed upon encountering Arithmetic questions instead. This caused significant confusion and disappointment among the examinees.

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Similarly, the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) faced major criticism during the Odisha Civil Services (OCS) 2023 Main Examination.  In the first sitting of the optional Anthropology Paper-I, questions meant for Paper-II were mistakenly given. Conversely, during the second sitting meant for Anthropology Paper-II, candidates received questions from Paper-I.

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This mix-up led to widespread dissatisfaction and frustration among the aspirants, many of whom have raised concerns about the fairness of the evaluation process. Both incidents have sparked strong reactions among candidates and the broader public, raising serious questions about the preparedness and management of the recruitment examinations by reputed state agencies like OSSC and OPSC.

The Minister, however, reiterated the Odisha government's commitment to transparency and fairness in competitive examinations.

"Examinations are a gateway to shaping careers. Any negligence or carelessness in their conduct is unacceptable. Those responsible will be held accountable after a thorough departmental probe," he said.

The Odisha government’s assurance of action seeks to restore faith among aspirants in the integrity of recruitment processes. 

Meanwhile, pressure is mounting from various quarters, including student groups and civil society organizations, demanding swift corrective measures and reforms to prevent such incidents in the future.