OPSC Civil Judge Recruitment 2026 Notification Out for 78 Junior Division Posts

Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) has come up with a Judicial career opportunity for Law graduates in the state. The Commission has released an official recruitment advertisement for the appointment of 78 Civil Judges (Junior Division), under the Department of Law, Government of Odisha. Interested candidates can apply for the recruitment from 8th May to 8th June 2026, at the official OPSC website https://www.opsc.gov.in.

OPSC Civil Judge Recruitment 2026

Candidates claiming SC/ST/SEBC status for the Odisha Judicial Service recruitment must submit valid caste certificates, issued by a competent authority, with the SEBC certificate not older than 3 years. Additionally, women must provide a certificate by birth, not by marriage. OBC certificates will not be accepted in place of the SEBC certificate. Candidates should check the details of the recruitment below.

OPSC Odisha Judicial Service Recruitment 2026- Important Dates

Candidates applying for the OPSC Odisha Judicial Service Recruitment 2026 must carefully follow the official application dates, which have been mentioned in the notification. The online application window will be opened on the official website on 8th May 2026.

Odisha Judicial Service Vacancy 2026

As per the notification released by OPSC, a total of 78 vacancies have been announced. Out of these vacancies, 26 posts are reserved for women. The vacancies are distributed across Unreserved, SEBC, SC, ST, PwBD, as per the reservation rules of the Odisha Govt.

OPSC Odisha Judicial Service Notification 2026 Out

The Odisha Public Service Commission has released the Judicial Service (Civil Judge) Notification 2026 on 30th April 2026 under Advt. No. 02 of 2026-2027, for recruitment in the state judiciary. The official notification explains the details of the recruitment, such as the category-wise vacancies, women’s reservation, and the schedule of the examination process. Candidates interested in joining the Odisha Judicial Service must download the notification below to learn about the application rules.

OPSC Civil Judge Notification 2026 PDF – Click to Download

OPSC Civil Judge Eligibility Criteria 2026

The eligibility criteria for the Odisha Judicial Service Recruitment define the essential requirements that candidates must meet to apply for the post. An Indian citizen with good character and sound health, meeting the age limit, educational qualification, professional experience, and language proficiency, is eligible.

Educational Qualification

• Candidates must possess a Bachelor’s degree in Law (LL.B.) from a recognised university or institution as approved by the Govt.
• Applicants must have at least 3 years of experience as an Advocate as of 1st April 2025.
• Candidates having experience as a Law Clerk or Research Assistant to a Judge, Judiciary Officer, or any Constitutional authority are also eligible.
• Candidates must be able to read, write and speak the Odia language fluently and must have passed an examination in Odia equal to Middle English High School Standard (Class 8th).

Age Limit (as on 01/04/2026)

The candidates must be at least 23 years of age. The maximum age allowed by OPSC for unreserved category candidates is 40 years. This means that the candidates must have been born between 2nd April 1983 and 1st April 2002 (both dates inclusive). OPSC has provided age relaxation for candidates from the reserved category, which is discussed in the table:

Note:

• If candidates are eligible under multiple categories, they can avail only one age relaxation benefit.
• The date of birth mentioned in the High School Certificate will be considered final, and no relaxation beyond the age limit will be provided.

OPSC OJS Application Form 2026

To apply for the recruitment, candidates have to complete the online application form at the official website of OPSC. No other modes of application will be accepted. After filling out the OPSC Civil Judge application form, if candidates want to modify any detail(s), they have to cancel the previous application and fill out a fresh application before the deadline. After the online application window is opened by OPSC, we will provide the direct link here.

OPSC Civil Judge Application Fee 2026

As per the Odisha Govt. rules, candidates applying for the OPSC Odisha Judicial Service Recruitment 2026 have to submit an application fee through online mode. OPSC will refund the application fee to only those candidates who have appeared in the online exam, through the original payment mode. But in case the fee is not refunded due to a technical issue, then candidates have to provide valid bank account details in the application form. The application fee for various categories of candidates is given below:

Steps to Apply Online for OPSC Civil Judge Recruitment 2026

The application process for the OPSC Odisha Judicial Service Recruitment 2026 requires registration, uploading the necessary documents and verifying all the details before final submission. Any mistake found in the application form could lead to rejection. The steps to complete the application form are discussed below:

1. Visit the official website of OPSC https://www.opsc.gov.in.
2. At the top of the homepage, you will notice the “Apply Online” section and select it.
3. In the next window, start with the registration process, which requires filling in your basic details. After successful registration, a unique “Permanent Public Service Account Number (PPSAN)” will be generated.
4. Fill in the application form with your personal, educational, category, and communication details.
5. Upload the documents that include a passport-size photograph, signature, left thumb impression, educational and other required certificates.
6. Pay the application fee as per your category.
7. Carefully check all the entered details, verify the application form and submit it.
8. Take a printout of the application form and sign it under the declaration.

OPSC Odisha Judicial Service Selection Process 2026

The recruitment for Civil Judge under OPSC follows a three-stage selection process. The process starts with an objective-type Prelims exam, which shortlist candiadtes for the Mains exam. The last is the interview round. In each of these stages, candidates from their respective categories have to secure a minimum qualifying mark. The selection stages are:

OPSC Civil Judge Exam Pattern 2026

The Odisha Public Service Commission has provided details about the Odisha Civil Judge Exam Pattern in its official notification, which contains the exam structure and marking scheme for each selection stage. Both Prelims and Mains exams will be held in offline mode.

OPSC Odisha Civil Judge Prelims Exam Pattern 2026

The Prelims exam has a single paper and covers topics from the law subject, such as the Constitution, CPC, CrPC/BNSS, Evidence Act/BSA, IPC/BNS, Contract Law, and others.

• The exam has 100 MCQ-based questions.
• The total duration of the exam is 1 and a half hours.
• Each question carries 1 mark.
• There is a negative marking of 0.25 marks for each incorrect answer.

OPSC Civil Judge Prelims Minimum Qualifying Criteria 2026

To get qualified for the Mains exam, candidates have to secure a minimum qualifying mark in the Prelims exam. These qualifying marks vary with different categories, as given below:

OPSC Odisha Civil Judge Mains Exam Pattern 2026

The Mains exam has two compulsory papers and three optional papers. In Compulsory Papers, Paper 1 is for General English and Paper 2 is for Procedural Law. OPSC has provided 5 Optional Papers in the notification, among which candidates have to choose only 3 papers. The Mains exam is fully descriptive in nature.

• Each compulsory paper carries 150 marks with a duration of 2 and a half hours.
• Each optional subject carries 150 marks having duartion of 3 hours.
• Candidates have to answer the paper in English.
• The standard of papers will be of the LL.B. course, while the compulsory paper is of the degree course.

Note: 

• Candidates would be shortlisted for an interview in a 1:5 ratio or 3 times the number of allotted vacancies.
• Candidates should provide information about their chosen optional subject in the application form.

OPSC Civil Judge Mains Minimum Qualifying Criteria 2026

To pass the Mains exam, candidates have to score more than the stated qualifying marks. These marks are different for all categories of candidates and for each paper, which is described below:

OPSC Odisha Civil Judge Interview Pattern 2026

• The interview carries a total of 100 marks.
• The questions will be based on the subjects of the Mains exam.
• Candidates can be questioned on topics related to current affairs and general topics of the Arts and Science.
• The interview checks a candidate’s legal knowledge, personality, and communication skills.
• Candidates have to secure a minimum of 40% marks to be considered for the final merit.
• The final merit will be based on candidates’ marks in the Mains exam and the interview.

OPSC Odisha Judicial Service Salary 2026

Candidates selected in the OPSC Civil Judge Recruitment 2026 will be entitled to a salary as per the 7th Pay Commission, as per the terms decided by the Govt of Odisha. The Pay Level falls under Level J-1, which is the entry level for a Civil Judge in the Junior Division. Apart from the salary, selected candidates will also receive DA, HRA, medical benefits, and other allowances as per the Odisha Govt rules.