Action will be taken against those responsible for irregularities in OPSC, OSSC exams, says minister

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Higher Education minister Suryabanshi Suraj on Monday said that strong action will be taken against those found responsible for the irregularities detected during the recently held OPSC and OSSC examinations. Candidates appearing for the Odisha Civil Services (OCS) Main Examination 2023 conducted by the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) on Sunday claimed that Anthropology Paper I questions were from Paper II and questions for Paper II were from Paper I.

Also, candidates appearing for the Odisha Staff Selection Commission (OSSC) combined recruitment main examination on Sunday alleged that crucial sections of the syllabus, including General English, Odia language, and parts of general studies, were absent from the question paper.

In a public notice, the OPSC said it has found that the question cum- answer booklet of Anthropology, Paper-I contains questions from the syllabus of Anthropology Paper-II and questions from Paper II from Paper I.

Exam department to investigate

The OSSC said, "The Commission acknowledges and regrets the error, and is committed to taking remedial measures. The commission is considering the option of holding another examination covering leftover parts, General English, Odia Language, parts of General Studies." Speaking to reporters here, the Higher Education minister said that the concerned departments associated with the conduct of these examinations would certainly carry out investigations into the lapses.

Suraj said the state government has recently passed a bill in the Assembly to ensure stricter measures against such examination-related discrepancies. He assured that those found guilty during the probe will face action as per the law.

Meanwhile, many job aspirants staged a demonstration before the office of OSSC here on Monday demanding a fresh examination for the recruitment of sub-inspectors in traffic and excise posts.