The Odisha Sub-Ordinate Staff Selection Commission (OSSSC) has officially released the OSSSC Combined Recruitment Examination 2025 (II) notification on 30 December 2025. Through the OSSSC Combined Recruitment Examination 2025, the commission aims to fill Group ‘C’ district cadre posts of Forester, Forest Guard, and Excise Constable under the Forest, Environment & Climate Change Department and the Excise Department, Government of Odisha.
This recruitment is among the largest uniformed hiring drives conducted through the OSSSC Combined Recruitment Examination 2025, offering secure government jobs, attractive pay scales, and long-term career stability. Candidates selected via the OSSSC Combined Recruitment Examination 2025 will be posted within their allotted district, circle, or division, making it an ideal opportunity for aspirants seeking employment close to their home region.
Important Dates
Candidates must strictly adhere to the official schedule released for the OSSSC Combined Recruitment Examination 2025. Missing any deadline in the OSSSC Combined Recruitment Examination 2025 process may lead to rejection of the application.
- Notification Date: 30 December 2025
- Online Registration / Re-registration Start Date: 7 January 2026
- Last Date for Registration / Re-registration: 31 January 2026
- Online Application Submission Start Date: 7 January 2026
- Last Date for Online Application Submission: 7 February 2026
Mode of Application
- Applications are accepted only through online mode
- Official website: osssc.gov.in
- Offline, incomplete, or late applications will be rejected without notice
Candidates are advised to apply early to avoid last-minute technical problems.
Vacancy Details
The OSSSC Combined Recruitment Examination 2025 covers three distinct posts: Forester, Forest Guard, and Excise Constable. All positions are district, circle, or division cadre, meaning selected candidates through the OSSSC Combined Recruitment Examination 2025 will serve within their designated region.
Post-wise Vacancy Summary
- Forester
- Department: Forest, Environment & Climate Change
- Group: C
- Total Vacancies: 47
- Forest Guard
- Department: Forest, Environment & Climate Change
- Group: C
- Total Vacancies: 896
- Excise Constable
- Department: Excise Department
- Group: C
- Total Vacancies: 575
Total Vacancies: 1,518
The number of vacancies may be revised by the Government of Odisha if required.
Pay Scale and Salary Structure
Selected candidates will receive salary as per the 7th Pay Commission pay matrix along with admissible allowances.
Post-wise Pay Scale
- Forester
- Pay Scale: ₹25,500 – ₹81,100
- Pay Matrix Level: Level-7 (Cell-1)
- Forest Guard
- Pay Scale: ₹19,900 – ₹63,200
- Pay Matrix Level: Level-4 (Cell-1)
- Excise Constable
- Pay Scale: ₹19,900 – ₹63,200
- Pay Matrix Level: Level-4 (Cell-1)
In addition to basic pay, employees are entitled to DA, HRA, medical benefits, and other allowances as per government rules.
Eligibility Criteria
Age Limit (as on 1 January 2025)
- Forester & Forest Guard
- Minimum Age: 18 years
- Maximum Age: 32 years
- Excise Constable
- Minimum Age: 21 years
- Maximum Age: 32 years
Age Relaxation
- ST / SC / Women / SEBC: 5 years
- Persons with Disabilities (PwDs): 10 years
- Ex-Servicemen: As per length of defence service
Only one relaxation benefit can be availed, whichever is most beneficial.
Educational Qualification
Candidates must possess the required qualification on or before the last date of application submission.
- Forester
- +2 Science from a recognized board or institution
- Basic computer knowledge required
- Forest Guard
- Passed High School Certificate (10+) from a recognized board
- Excise Constable
- Candidates must have passed the +2 (Higher Secondary) or an equivalent examination from a recognized board or council.
Odia Language Requirement
Every applicant must be able to read, write, and speak Odia and must have:
- Passed Odia as a subject at school level, or
- Studied Odia as medium of instruction, or
- Passed an Odia language test conducted by the Government of Odisha
Other Eligibility Conditions
To be eligible, a candidate must:
- Be a citizen of India
- Be of good moral character
- Not have more than one living spouse (unless legally permitted)
- Not be debarred by OSSSC from any examination
- Possess valid documents for reservation claims (SC/ST/SEBC/PwD/Ex-Servicemen/Sportsperson)
Special Medical Conditions
- Excise Constable candidates must not have colour blindness, knock knees, flat foot, squint eyes, hearing or speech defects
- For the Forester and Forest Guard positions, only candidates who are Leprosy-cured or acid attack survivors are eligible under the Persons with Disabilities category, while all other disabilities are not considered for these posts.
Application Fee
As per Odisha Government rules:
- SC / ST / PwD Candidates: No fee
- All Other Candidates: ₹500
Important Fee Information
- The application fee should be paid online through Debit Card, Credit Card, Net Banking, or UPI.
- Candidates who attend the examination will receive a refund of the application fee.
- No refund will be provided to candidates who do not attend the exam
Selection Process
The selection process is conducted in multiple stages to ensure fairness and transparency.
Stage-I: Written Examination
- Total Marks: 100
- Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Mode: OMR / Computer-Based (to be notified)
Subject-wise Marks
- Mathematics – 20
- General Studies – 25
- English – 20
- Odia – 15
- Computer – 20
Negative Marking
- 0.25 marks deducted for each wrong answer
Minimum Qualifying Marks
- SC / ST / PwD / Ex-Servicemen / Sportsperson: 30%
- Other categories: 35%
Bonus marks are applicable for Excise Constable candidates with NCC certificates.
Stage-II: Physical Test (PSM & PET)
Candidates shortlisted from the written exam will appear for physical tests.
For Forester & Forest Guard
- Male: 25 km walking in 4 hours
- Female: 16 km walking in 4 hours
For Excise Constable
- Male:
- 1.6 km run in 7 minutes
- Long jump: 3.66 meters
- Female:
- 1.6 km run in 9 minutes
- Long jump: 2.75 meters
Failure in any physical event leads to disqualification.
Document Verification
Candidates qualifying the physical test will be called for document verification. Original certificates related to education, age, caste, disability, sports quota, and ex-servicemen status must be produced.
Application Process (Step-by-Step)
- Visit osssc.gov.in
- Click on Apply Online
- Register as a New User or Re-register using existing User ID
- Fill in personal, educational, and category details
- Upload photograph and signature
- Pay application fee (if applicable)
- Submit the online application
- Download and print confirmation page
For official details, candidates should always refer to the OSSSC official website for notifications, guidelines, and application instructions. Additional information on government job eligibility and age relaxations can be found at the Odisha Government Services Portal
The OSSSC Combined Recruitment Examination 2025 offers a great opportunity for government job aspirants across Odisha. If you are also interested in engineering and technical government roles, check out our article on the ISRO IPRC 2026 Apprentice Recruitment 100+ Posts for details on eligibility, application, and selection process.
