OSSSC Nursing Officer Recruitment 2026 – Apply Online for 5989 Posts (Last Date Extended)

The Odisha Sub-ordinate Staff Selection Commission (OSSSC) is recruiting 5,989 District Cadre Group-C Nursing Officers across all 30 districts of Odisha, under the Health & Family Welfare Department. This is one of the largest Government Jobs drives in the nursing space this year, and selected candidates may also be deployed as Community Health Officer (CHO) by the respective appointing authorities. Online registration opened on 13 June 2026, and following an extension, the last date to submit the application is now 19 August 2026. Here's the complete, updated picture.

About OSSSC

The Odisha Sub-ordinate Staff Selection Commission conducts recruitment for Group-B and Group-C posts across Odisha government departments. This particular drive is being run under the Odisha Nursing Service (Method of Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2019, on behalf of the Health & Family Welfare Department, and is a district cadre posting — meaning selected candidates will be posted and transferred only within the district they're allocated to, not across the state at large.

OSSSC Nursing Officer Recruitment 2026 – Overview

Important Dates

Registration and application submission are two separate steps — completing registration alone doesn't mean your application has been filed. You'll need to log back in after registering and submit the full online application form. The online system is automatically disabled at midnight on the closing date, so don't wait till the very last day.

Vacancy Details / Category Wise Break-up

The 5,989 vacancies are spread across all 30 districts of Odisha, and candidates must indicate district preferences in order of priority in their online application.

Special category vacancies, included within the totals above: Ex-Servicemen – 180, Sportsperson – 60, Visually Impaired – 60, Hearing Impaired – 60, Orthopedically Impaired – 60, and Mentally Disabled – 60. The five districts with the highest vacancy count are Koraput (619), Angul (486), Cuttack (473), Balangir (355), and Balasore (347). As with most large-scale drives, the number of posts to be filled may change at the Government's discretion without prior notice.

Eligibility Criteria

Educational Qualification

You'll need to satisfy all of the following at once — this isn't a "meet one of these" situation:

• Academic: Passed 10+2 in the 10+2 system or its equivalent.
• Professional: Diploma in GNM (General Nursing & Midwifery) or B.Sc Nursing, from an institution duly recognised and approved by the Indian Nursing Council.
• Registration: Registered with the Nursing Council of Odisha, holding a valid Registration or Renewal Certificate as on the date of online application submission — this must be uploaded with the application.
• Odia Language: Ability to speak, read, and write Odia, demonstrated via Middle School exam with Odia as a subject, Matriculation with Odia as medium of instruction, Odia as a language subject from Class-VII or above, or a departmental Odia test.

All eligibility conditions must be met as on the date of advertisement (12 June 2026), except the Nursing Council registration, which must be valid as on the date of application submission.

Age Limit (as on 12 Jun 2026)

• Minimum Age: 21 Years
• Maximum Age: 42 Years

Age Relaxation

Candidates in more than one relaxation category get only the single most beneficial relaxation, except PwDs under SC/ST/SEBC, who get the cumulative benefit. Ex-Servicemen who've already secured regular State Government employment and used their Ex-Servicemen benefit once aren't eligible for that reservation again.

Salary Details

This is a permanent Group-C post with a clearly defined pay scale under the Odisha Revised Scale of Pay (ORSP) Rules, 2017.

Selection Process

Selection runs entirely on a single Written Test followed by Document Verification — there's no interview.

• 2-hour objective/MCQ exam, OMR or CBRE mode (mode notified separately)
• Negative marking: 0.25 marks deducted per wrong answer; marking more than one option counts as wrong
• Minimum qualifying: 30% (normalized) for ST/SC/PwD/Ex-Servicemen/Sportsperson; 35% (normalized) for all others
• Shortlisting for Document Verification: at least 1.25 times the advertised vacancies, category/special-category wise, by Provisional Master Merit List rank
• Document Verification before the District Level Board, at the office of the Collector and District Magistrate of each district
• Provisional Select List drawn strictly on merit, availability, and district preference
• Optional Physical Counselling may be called for district allocation, merit-cum-choice basis

Tie-breaker sequence: fewer wrong attempts, then higher GNM/B.Sc Nursing percentage, then age seniority, then higher +2 marks, then Commission's discretion.

Application Fee

Here's a genuinely unusual and helpful detail: the ₹500 fee is refunded to candidates who actually appear in the written examination, credited back after the exam and attendance verification. No refund applies if you fail to appear for any reason. If the Confirmation Page doesn't generate after payment, the transaction is auto-cancelled and refunded within 48 hours — you'd then need to make a fresh payment.

Required Documents

These are needed at the Document Verification stage, not necessarily all at application — but it's worth having them ready early.

• Odisha Nursing Council Registration Certificate (valid as on application submission date)
• HSC / 10+2 pass certificate, Diploma in GNM or B.Sc Nursing certificate and mark sheets
• Odia language qualification proof (Class-VII+ pass certificate, or M.E. School Standard test certificate)
• Caste Certificate (SC/ST/SEBC), or UDID Card/Disability Certificate (min. 40% disability) for PwDs
• Discharge Certificate/Identity Card and defence service documents, plus a non-re-employment undertaking, for Ex-Servicemen
• Contractual work experience documents (OSH&FW Society/Scheme or ASHA), for contractual Nursing Officers claiming age relaxation
• Sports ID Card from the Sports & Youth Services Department, Odisha, for Sportsperson category claimants

How to Apply Online

1. Visit the official website: www.osssc.gov.in
2. New users click "Apply Online"; already-registered OSSSC users click "Re-registration" under the Applicant Menu.
3. Read the "How do I register/re-register/apply" instructions before filling the Registration Form.
4. Complete Registration first — keep your scanned signature (jpg/jpeg/png, 20–50 KB) and colour photograph (jpg/jpeg/png, 20–100 KB) ready, along with a valid personal email and mobile number.
5. Log back in after registration and fill the Online Application Form completely — registration alone does not count as applying.
6. Indicate your district preferences in order of priority.
7. Pay the ₹500 fee (if applicable) via Net Banking/Credit Card/Debit Card/UPI, and print the Confirmation Page once payment succeeds.
8. Submit the online application — incomplete applications are summarily rejected, and no Admission Letter is issued for them.
9. Save your User ID, Password, and registration number safely — you'll need these for the Admission Letter and future communication.

Important Instructions

• Registration and Application Submission are two separate, mandatory steps — completing only registration means your application is incomplete.
• Photo and signature files outside the specified size range won't be accepted; blurred images risk rejection.
• Submitting more than one application for this post leads to cancellation of results and disqualification.
• Keep your registered email and mobile number unchanged and active throughout — don't share your User ID/Password with anyone.
• PwD candidates need a Permanent Disability Certificate showing at least 40% disability; temporary disability applications are summarily rejected.
• Contractual Nursing Officers claiming age relaxation must upload self-attested appointment letters online and keep originals ready for post-exam verification.
• Don't wait until the last day — the system is automatically disabled after the deadline, and server load near the closing date is common.

Why Should You Apply?

With nearly 6,000 posts on offer, this is one of the largest nursing recruitment drives in the country this year, and a genuinely strong opportunity for GNM/B.Sc Nursing candidates in Odisha. A single written test with no interview keeps the process straightforward, and the fee-refund-on-appearance policy is a rare, candidate-friendly touch that few recruitments offer.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Important Links

Final Words

With nearly 6,000 posts and a fee that comes back if you show up for the exam, OSSSC's Nursing Officer drive is one of the year's standout opportunities for GNM and B.Sc Nursing candidates in Odisha — just remember registration and application submission are two separate steps, so make sure both are done well before 19 August 2026. Share this with nursing graduates in your circle, and join our Telegram channel above for free alerts on the next Odisha government job notification.