Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Monday issued a comprehensive directive laying down Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to regulate all government recruitment examinations across the state.
The order, issued by Surendra Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary of the General Administration & Public Grievance (GA&PG) Department, was addressed to key departments, recruitment boards, educational authorities, and district officials involved in conducting recruitment exams.
With over 1.5 lakh vacancies expected to be filled in various departments in the coming months, the state government has taken proactive measures to standardise the recruitment process amid concerns over past irregularities and complaints related to inconsistent exam procedures.
“The government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards irregularities in competitive examinations. Accordingly, no error or deviation will be tolerated, particularly those of human origin which could have been prevented,” the order said.
To ensure transparency and efficiency, the SOPs mandate foolproof security for both online and offline exams. Key measures include stringent supervision during the printing of question papers by senior officials and police personnel, secure sealing and distribution of exam materials, and the use of barcoded Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets.
The directive further states that question papers and answer keys must be sealed in separate envelopes after randomised set generation and sent to ‘trusted printing presses’ under strict security supervision. Subject experts with impeccable credentials will exclusively prepare the question papers while maintaining strict confidentiality.
Additionally, all examination materials will be securely stored in government treasuries before dispatch, with delivery timelines monitored to prevent tampering.
This initiative aims to enhance candidate confidence and ensure merit-based recruitment in Odisha’s public sector, reinforcing transparent and fair selection processes.
