| Conducting body | Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC). Official website ↗ |
|---|---|
| Posts | Assistant Public Prosecutor, Group B, Odisha State Prosecution Service (Home Department) |
| Qualification | A Bachelor's degree in Law from a recognised university, plus at least 2 years of practice as an advocate, backed by an experience certificate from the District & Sessions Judge in the format given in the advertisement. |
| Age limit | 21–42 years on 1 January 2026 (general category) |
| Domicile | See the notification |
| Selection stages | Preliminary exam: one objective paper, 100 marks (screening only) → Main written exam: four descriptive papers, 600 marks → Interview: 50 marks, for about twice the vacancies (at least 5) → Final merit on written plus interview marks (650) |
| Latest notification | Advertisement No. 09 of 2026-27, Assistant Public Prosecutor · 172 vacancies |
Last checked . Sources
About OPSC APP
Assistant Public Prosecutors conduct criminal cases for the state in Odisha's courts. OPSC's Advertisement No. 09 of 2026-27 is for 172 posts, 58 of them for women, at Level 10 of the pay matrix (Rs 44,900). OPSC has since issued two corrigenda to this advertisement, so read them together.
Eligibility
Age limit
General category: 21–42 years, counted on 1 January 2026.
Age relaxation
- OBC: 5 years
- SC: 5 years
- ST: 5 years
- PwBD: 10 years
- Ex-servicemen: 5 years
- 5 years for SEBC, SC, ST, women and ex-servicemen
- 10 years for persons with 40% or more permanent disability; SEBC, SC and ST candidates with disability get 15 years in total
- Only one relaxation applies if you fall in more than one group
Qualification
A Bachelor's degree in Law from a recognised university, plus at least 2 years of practice as an advocate, backed by an experience certificate from the District & Sessions Judge in the format given in the advertisement.
Other conditions
- You will need your Bar Council enrolment certificate along with the practice certificate.
- You must speak, read and write Odia and have passed either the BSE Middle School standard Odia test or Class 10 with Odia as a subject.
Selection process
- Preliminary exam: one objective paper, 100 marks (screening only)
- Main written exam: four descriptive papers, 600 marks
- Interview: 50 marks, for about twice the vacancies (at least 5)
- Final merit on written plus interview marks (650)
Exam pattern
Preliminary exam
Mode: Objective MCQ · Duration: 2 hours · Negative marking: 25% of the marks for each wrong answer
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal procedure, penal law and evidence (old codes and the 2023 sanhitas) | 100 | 100 |
Main written exam
Mode: Descriptive
| SUBJECT | MARKS |
|---|---|
| Paper I: General English (2 hours 30 minutes) | 150 |
| Paper II: Criminal Major Laws (3 hours) | 150 |
| Paper III: Criminal Minor Laws (3 hours) | 150 |
| Paper IV: Miscellaneous Laws (3 hours) | 150 |
Interview
| SUBJECT | MARKS |
|---|---|
| Personality test | 50 |
OPSC APP syllabus
Preliminary (LL.B. standard)
- Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
- Indian Penal Code, 1860 and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
- Indian Evidence Act, 1872 and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023
Paper I: General English (degree standard)
- Translation from English to Odia
- Translation from Odia to English
- Essay
- Precis writing
- Comprehension
Paper II: Criminal Major Laws
- CrPC and BNSS
- Evidence Act and BSA
- IPC and BNS
Paper III: Criminal Minor Laws
- Arms Act and Explosives laws
- Dowry Prohibition Act
- Drugs and Cosmetics Act
- Odisha Excise Act
- Food Safety and Standards Act
- Odisha Forest Act and timber transit rules
- IT (Amendment) Act, 2008
- Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act
- Juvenile Justice Act, 2015
- Motor Vehicles Act
- Probation of Offenders Act
- Wild Life Protection Act and other state acts listed
Paper IV: Miscellaneous Laws
- Drafting of petitions, pleadings and arguments
- Law of torts
- Indian Contract Act
- Transfer of Property Act
- Limitation Act
- Interpretation of statutes
What they ask
The preliminary paper is 100 objective questions on only three subjects: criminal procedure, penal law and evidence, covering both the old codes and the 2023 sanhitas. The main exam is written, with answers in English except the Odia translation in Paper I. Paper III lists sixteen minor criminal statutes, several of them Odisha acts such as the Excise Act and the Forest Act. Paper IV tests drafting and civil basics like contract, torts, property and limitation.
How to prepare
- Study each old code side by side with its new sanhita, section by section, because the syllabus names both for the preliminary and Paper II.
- Make one-page notes for each of the sixteen minor acts in Paper III, focusing on offences, penalties and search and seizure powers.
- Practise drafting a bail petition, a complaint and a written argument under time pressure for Paper IV.
- Write one English-Odia translation and one precis each week for Paper I, since the paper is descriptive and lasts 2 hours 30 minutes.
- Arrange your practice certificate from the District & Sessions Judge early; the advertisement asks for it in a fixed format.
Practise OPSC APP syllabus topics a few minutes a day with short quizzes in the Improvam app.
OPSC APP FAQs
No. The advertisement asks for at least 2 years of practice as an advocate in addition to the law degree.
Sources
- OPSC Advertisements page: Advertisement No. 09 of 2026-27, Assistant Public Prosecutor (20.08.2026), with corrigenda of 09.09.2026 and 22.09.2026 ↗ (official, checked )
Checked against official sources on . Rules change with each notification, so read the latest one before you apply.
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