Constable recruitment: Hearing at Orissa High Court remains incomplete, verdict on Monday

The legal battle over constable recruitment in various battalions remains unresolved as the hearing by the Orissa High Court’s division bench did not conclude on Thursday. The next and final hearing is scheduled for Monday.

The case primarily revolves around allowing overage candidates to participate in the recruitment process. With the legal proceedings ongoing, the interim stay on the recruitment process remains in effect.

Legal Arguments and Court's Response

During the preliminary hearing, Advocate General Pitambar Acharya argued that recruitment into the uniformed force does not fall under the category of civil service. He contended that the single judge had erred in directing a revision of the advertisement through a corrigendum. 

Taking these arguments into account, the division bench of Acting Chief Justice Arindam Sinha and Justice M.S. Sahoo stayed the recruitment process until the next hearing, scheduled for March 20.

Pandemic-Era Rules at the Core of Conflict

In 2022, the Odisha Civil Service Rules were amended to raise the upper age limit from 32 to 38 years for recruitment ads issued between 2021 and 2023, compensating for COVID-19 disruptions. Despite this, the benefit was not extended to the 2024 constable recruitment drive. 

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The single-judge bench had directed the selection board to issue a corrigendum incorporating the age relaxation and to accept applications from overage candidates.

The last recruitment for these positions took place in 2018, and the delay caused by the pandemic has affected thousands of aspirants. The next hearing will determine the future course of the selection process.