OPSC Assistant Public Prosecutor Recruitment 2026: Complete Guide to 172 Posts EXPIRED

, applications are open — the window started 28 August 2026 and runs through 28 September 2026, 5:00 PM. What’s confirmed: vacancy count, eligibility, fee, and the complete three-stage selection scheme. What’s still tentative: the Preliminary Examination date, currently pencilled in for 1 November 2026, with the notification itself flagging this as provisional and subject to a separately notified detailed schedule.

The Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC), Cuttack, released Advertisement No. 09 of 2026-27 (Notice No. 4696/PSC, dated 20 August 2026) inviting applications for 172 posts of Assistant Public Prosecutor in Group-B of the Odisha State Prosecution Service, under the Home Department. If you’re a law graduate with courtroom experience weighing this against a private practice or a different government legal role, the structure of this selection process is worth understanding closely — particularly how little the Preliminary stage actually counts toward your final outcome, and how much rides on the Main Written Examination specifically.

Overview

Vacancy Breakdown

Horizontal reservation sits on top of this: 9 posts for Ex-Servicemen (5 fresh plus 4 carried forward from an earlier recruitment cycle), 2 for Sports Persons, and 8 for Persons with Disabilities with 40% or more disability (also carrying forward 1 unfilled post from a previous cycle). The PwD allocation breaks down further — 1 for Blind/Low Vision, 2 for Hard of Hearing, 2 for Locomotor disabilities, and 3 for Specific Learning Disability/Multiple Disability. Candidates selected under any horizontal category get adjusted against their own social category (UR/SEBC/SC/ST), not counted as separate additional seats.

Eligibility

The experience certification detail is worth acting on early rather than late in your application window. A District & Sessions Judge’s certificate isn’t something you can generate instantly — if you’ve been practising for close to the minimum 2 years but haven’t yet approached the court for this specific certification, start that process now rather than in the final week of September. This is a bureaucratic step that runs on its own timeline, separate from how quickly you can fill out an online form.

Age Limit

Calculated as on 1 January 2026: minimum 21, maximum 42 years. You must be born between 2 January 1984 and 1 January 2005.

If you qualify for more than one relaxation category, only the single most beneficial one applies — they don’t add together across unrelated categories, apart from the specific PwD-within-reserved-category cumulative provision.

Salary

Selected candidates draw pay of ₹44,900 in Level 10 of the Pay Matrix under ORSP Rules, 2017, plus Dearness and other allowances as sanctioned by the Odisha Government. Anyone appointed on or after 1 January 2005 falls under the Contributory Pension Scheme (NPS) rather than the older Odisha Civil Service (Pension) Rules, 1992 — a distinction worth being aware of if you’re comparing this role’s long-term retirement benefits against another government legal position with different pension terms.

Application Fee

The fee is refunded only to candidates who actually appear for the Preliminary Examination, processed after the Prelims to the original payment mode. This is a pattern that shows up across several Odisha state recruitments this cycle — pay upfront, but the money effectively comes back if you show up to sit the exam, rather than being a pure non-refundable charge from day one. Skip the Prelims for any reason after paying, though, and that refund doesn’t trigger. You’ll also need to enter your bank account details in the application, used only as a backup if the original-mode refund fails technically.

Selection Process: Where Your Score Actually Comes From

Preliminary Examination — Screening Only

This is the detail worth internalizing before you start preparing: your Prelims score doesn’t count toward your final merit at all. It’s purely a screening gate. One paper, 100 MCQ questions, 100 marks, 2 hours. Each correct answer earns 1 mark; each wrong answer costs 0.25 marks (unattempted questions score zero). Candidates clearing the Commission’s qualifying threshold move to the Main Exam, shortlisted at up to 10 times the vacancy count per category.

A shortlisting ratio of up to 10x means Prelims competition itself will be genuinely intense, even though the marks you earn here vanish once you clear the cutoff — they carry zero weight into your eventual rank. Treat Prelims prep as clearing a pass/fail hurdle as efficiently as possible, and save your deepest, most polished preparation effort for the Main Exam, since that’s where your actual competitive standing gets built.

Main Written Examination — Where Nearly Everything Is Decided

All four papers are subjective/descriptive — no MCQs at this stage. Together they carry 600 of the 650 total marks that determine your final rank — over 92% of your total score comes from this stage alone. The Interview, by contrast, carries just 50 marks, under 8% of the total. If you’ve come into this recruitment expecting the interview to meaningfully swing your outcome the way it sometimes does in other services, recalibrate that expectation here: the Main Written Exam is overwhelmingly what decides your rank, and the interview functions more as a smaller final filter than a major scoring opportunity.

Interview shortlisting from the Main Exam runs at a notably narrow ratio — 1:2 against category-wise vacancies (minimum 5). Compare this to Prelims’ far wider 10x shortlisting ratio, and the funnel narrows sharply at this stage: getting into the interview round means you’re already among a fairly small, closely matched group.

Tie-breaking: Higher Written Examination marks first; if still tied, the older candidate (by date of birth) ranks higher.

Two Rejection Traps Worth Knowing About Before You Apply

These are specific, easy-to-miss conditions stated in the notification that have tripped up candidates in past OPSC cycles:

• SEBC certificate dating: Only SEBC certificates issued on or after 29 August 2023 are accepted. If your certificate predates that, it won’t be considered valid for this recruitment — you’d need a fresh one.
• Women candidates under SC/ST/SEBC: Caste certificates must show “daughter of ___,” not “wife of ___.” A certificate obtained by virtue of marriage isn’t accepted for claiming SC/ST/SEBC benefit here. If your current certificate reflects your married status rather than your parentage, this is worth resolving before document verification, not after.

Also worth noting: OBC certificates are explicitly not accepted in lieu of an SEBC certificate — the two aren’t treated as interchangeable for this recruitment, even where they might overlap in other contexts.

How to Apply

1. Visit www.opsc.gov.in and read Advertisement No. 09 of 2026-27 in full.
2. Register or log in and complete the online Proforma Application carefully.
3. Upload scanned copies of required documents per Para-12 of the advertisement, a recent (within 6 months) unsigned, unattested passport photo, full signature, and Left-Hand Thumb Impression.
4. Pay the ₹700 fee online, if applicable to your category.
5. Submit to receive your unique Permanent Public Service Account Number (PPSAN).
6. Print the final submitted form, sign the declaration, and retain it with your certificate copies for later verification.

Applications submitted through any channel other than the OPSC online portal are not accepted under any circumstance.

Important Instructions

• Government servants (temporary or permanent) must inform their Head of Office in writing before applying and produce an NOC at document verification — start this internal process early rather than assuming it’s a quick formality.
• Selected candidates undergo a mandatory Medical Board examination; failing to meet medical requirements results in non-appointment even after selection.
• Malpractice, forged documents, or seeking illegal support leads to disqualification and possible permanent debarment from future OPSC recruitments; unfair means specifically in the Written Examination results in permanent debarment.
• Empanelment in the select list doesn’t itself confer a right to appointment — the Government retains discretion after due enquiry into a candidate’s overall suitability.
• Any complaint about the conduct of the exam must reach OPSC’s Grievance Wing by email within 7 days of the exam’s completion — a narrow window worth knowing in advance if something goes wrong on exam day.

important links
Apply Online (Advt. No. 09 of 2026-27)	click here (Active 28 Aug – 28 Sep 2026)
Download Official Notification PDF	click here
Official Website	click here
OPSC Facilitation Counter	0671-2304141 / 2305611 (Ext. 207), 10:30 AM–1:30 PM & 2:00 PM–5:00 PM
OPSC Technical Support	0671-2304707, 10:30 AM–1:30 PM & 2:00 PM–5:00 PM
Grievance Email	opsc@nic.in (complaints within 7 days of examination only)
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FAQs

Q1. Do my Preliminary Examination marks count toward my final selection?
No. The Prelims functions purely as a screening test to shortlist candidates for the Main Exam. Your final merit is based entirely on the Main Written Examination (600 marks) plus the Interview (50 marks) — 650 marks total, with no Prelims marks carried forward.

Q2. How much does the Interview actually matter compared to the Written Exam?
Relatively little, in scoring terms. The Interview carries only 50 of the 650 total marks — under 8%. The four Main Exam papers carry 600 marks combined, making the written stage overwhelmingly decisive for your final rank.

Q3. I have a caste certificate issued in my married name. Will it work for SC/ST/SEBC benefit?
Not if it was issued by virtue of marriage (“wife of ___”). The notification requires women candidates to submit certificates showing “daughter of ___” specifically for SC/ST/SEBC claims.

Q4. Can I use my OBC certificate instead of an SEBC certificate?
No. The notification explicitly states OBC certificates will not be accepted in lieu of an SEBC certificate for this recruitment.

Q5. When exactly is the Preliminary Examination?
Tentatively 1 November 2026 (a Sunday), per the notification. This is explicitly marked provisional, with the detailed schedule and centre to be notified separately closer to the date.

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Disclaimer: All dates, vacancy figures, eligibility, fee, and selection process details above are drawn from OPSC’s official Advertisement No. 09 of 2026-27 (Notice No. 4696/PSC, dated 20 August 2026). No figures are estimated. The Preliminary Examination date is explicitly tentative, and no admit card or final schedule has been released as of 6 September 2026 — check the official source for updates: www.opsc.gov.in.