ASO recruitment 2023: Orissa HC scraps merit list, asks OPSC to publish fresh list within 2 months

In a major ruling, the Orissa High Court on Friday scrapped the merit list prepared by the Odisha Public Service Commission for recruitment to the posts of Assistant Section Officer (ASO) in the state secretariat.

While hearing petitions alleging irregularities in the examination, the court ordered publication of a fresh merit list on the basis of marks obtained by candidates in the written examination, within two months.

The OPSC had conducted the written examination to fill up 796 posts of Assistant Section Officers on August 27 last year and the results were published on November 7.

It is pertinent to mention here that several candidates had moved the Orissa High Court alleging irregularities in the ASO recruitment examination. The court interfered in the matter after the OPSC published a merit list of 1104 aspirants.

As per reports, the controversy revolves around the new ‘qualification mark rule’ that the OPSC brought to the table while determining the merit list. As per the new rule, sectional cut-off was introduced wherein candidates needed to secure qualifying marks in each subject. 
The applicants complained that the OPSC never mentioned the new qualifying mark rule in its advertisement and brought it at the later stage after the written exams.