The Odisha government has announced a major reform in the Odisha Civil Services (OCS) examination and allowed candidates to write the examination paper in Odia.
The General Administration Department has written to the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) in this regard.
As per the decision of the State government, the preliminary, main and interview of the State Civil Services Examination will now be conducted in both in English and Odia.
Henceforth, the questions papers of the prestigious examinations will be set both in Odia and English. The move will help aspirants opt for English or Odia while writing their papers.
With the implementation of this decision, aspirants appearing for the OCS preliminary examination on October 16, 2022 to write their papers both in English and Odia.
As per sources, there has been a long-standing demand to allow candidates to appear for the OCS examination in Odia. It is learnt that the government took the decision after being proposed by the Institute of Odia Studies and Research (OSRC).
The Indian Administrative Service Examinations have been conducted in various languages since 1980. At present, aspirants can write the examinations in 22 official languages.
As the OAS examination was not being held in Odia, a petition was filed in the Orissa High Court in 2011.
Taking up the plea, the court had ordered conduct of the examination in Odia. The order is going to the implemented now.
Sipra Mallick, vice-chairman of OSRC said, “The rule of allowing candidates to write OAS examination in Odia had been put on stay till now. Now the examination questions will be in Odia and candidates can write answers in Odia. It will now inspire more candidates to appear for the OAS examination.”
Litu Nayak, an OCS aspirant said, “As I belong to tribal area, I know that aspirants coming from remote areas are weak in English. This initiative will highly benefit candidates from tribal areas.”
“As OAS examination was not being conducted in Odia, many aspirants had been facing problem. As the examination will now be conducted in Odia, many candidates will be benefitted,” Jyotsna Jena, another aspirant said.