Bhubaneswar, Aug 7: In a major boost for government job aspirants, the Odisha government has announced the recruitment of 22,896 Group C posts across 10 key departments, with the process set to be completed by August 31.

The directive was issued by Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja to address long-standing staff shortages and improve public service delivery.

The largest number of vacancies are in the School and Mass Education Department (8,358), followed by Panchayati Raj (4,042), and Health (3,677). Other departments include Home, Agriculture, and General Administration. The recruitment drive is part of a broader strategy to streamline governance and strengthen grassroots-level administration.

Currently, 44,909 Group C posts remain vacant across departments. The government’s decision to fill nearly half of these positions in the current phase is expected to ease the burden on existing staff and enhance efficiency in education, healthcare, and rural development sectors.

In a related development, the state government has relaxed the upper age limit by four years for candidates applying for police driver posts. Advocate General Pitambar Acharya informed the High Court that the revised age criteria will apply to 1,245 applicants who had filed petitions.

The recruitment notification for 405 driver posts was issued in October last year, but delays in conducting the examination prompted the age relaxation.

This move is seen as a relief for many aspirants who were previously disqualified due to age constraints. The High Court is expected to monitor the implementation of the revised criteria.

Together, these decisions reflect the government’s commitment to expanding employment opportunities and ensuring fair access to public sector jobs.

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