Orissa High Court Scraps ASO Exam Amidst Recruitment Scandal

The Orissa High Court has annulled the July 13 mains exam for assistant section officers due to fairness concerns, rescheduling it for December 7. This step follows the discovery of irregularities linked to Silicon Tech, involved in a recruitment scam. CBI is now investigating the scam, under police supervision.

The Orissa High Court has voided the mains examination conducted on July 13 for the recruitment of assistant section officers, citing significant doubts regarding the integrity of the process.

The High Court has announced December 7 as the new date for the examination aimed at 7,113 candidates who had passed the May 4 preliminary exam and were eligible for the mains, according to Registrar (Examination) S K Dash Ray. This announcement followed a court order issued on Wednesday.

Concerns over the fairness in the examination process came to light after it was revealed that the agency engaged for conducting the exam, Silicon Tech, was previously involved in a police sub-inspector recruitment scam. Subsequently, the CBI has taken on the investigation and registered a case in its Bhubaneswar branch, indicating a thorough probe under a DSP-led team. The Odisha Police Crime Branch has already arrested 126 individuals, including 114 aspirants, in relation to the scam.

(With inputs from agencies.)