OSSSC Forest Department Recruitment 2026 out
The Odisha Subordinate Staff Selection Commission (OSSSC) has issued an official notification for the recruitment of Forester, Forest Guard, and Excise Constable posts (exact number of vacancies not mentioned). Eligible and interested candidates can apply online through the official OSSSC website. The last date to submit the application form is 30 January 2026.
This article provides complete details about the OSSSC Forest Department Recruitment 2026 out for 1518 Posts for Forester, Forest Guard, and Excise Constable posts, including eligibility criteria, age limit, pay scale, selection process, step-by-step application procedure, and direct links to the official notification and online application form.
OSSSC Forest Department Recruitment 2026 out
Post Details
| Company Name | Odisha Sub-Ordinate Staff Selection Commission (OSSSC) |
| Post Name | Forester, Forest Guard & Excise Constable |
| No of Posts | 1518 (47 Forester, 896 Forest Guard, 575 Excise Constable) |
| Salary | Forester: Pay Scale ₹ 25500–81100, Pay Matrix Level-7, Cell-1 Forest Guard: Pay Scale ₹ 19900–63200, Pay Matrix Level-4, Cell-01 Excise Constable: Pay Scale ₹ 19900–63200, Pay Matrix Level-4, Cell-01 |
| Qualification | Post-wise minimum educational qualifications as prescribed for Forester, Forest Guard and Excise Constable in the Detailed Advertisement for CRE-2025 (II). |
| Age Limit | 18/21 to 32 years as on 1st January, 2025 (post-wise as specified with admissible relaxations). |
| Start Date for Apply | 07.01.2026 |
| Last Date for Apply | 07.02.2026 (online application submission) |
| Official Website | www.osssc.gov.in |
OSSSC Forest Department Recruitment 2026 out: Important Dates
| Event | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|
| Online Registration (Fresh candidates – New User) | 07.01.2026 | 31.01.2026 |
| Re-registration (Registered User) | 07.01.2026 | 31.01.2026 |
| Submission of Online Application (after Registration / Re-registration) | 07.01.2026 | 07.02.2026 |
| Last date of receipt of online applications | – | 07.02.2026 |
OSSSC Forest Department Recruitment 2026 out : Eligibility Criteria
1. Forester:
- Educational Qualification: Must have passed +2 Science from a recognized University, Institution, or Board.
- Skills: Basic knowledge of computer applications.
- Age: Minimum 18 years and maximum 32 years as of 1 January 2025.
2. Forest Guard:
- Educational Qualification: Must have passed High School Certificate (10+) from a recognized Board or Institution.
- Age: 18–32 years as of 1 January 2025.
3. Excise Constable:
- Educational Qualification: Must have passed +2 or equivalent from the Council of Higher Secondary Education, Odisha, or any other recognized Board/Council.
- Age: Minimum 21 years and maximum 32 years as of 1 January 2025.
- Medical/Physical Conditions: Must be free from knock knee, bow legs, flat foot, varicose veins, squint, poor vision, color blindness, or deformities, and have normal speech and hearing. Candidates with disabilities are not eligible.
4. Odia Language Proficiency:
Candidates must be able to read, write, and speak Odia. Qualification can be demonstrated by:
- Passing Middle English School Examination with Odia as a language subject, or
- Matriculation with Odia as medium in non-language subjects, or
- Odia as a language subject in Class VII or above, or
- Passing the Odia test in ME School Standard conducted by the School & Mass Education Department.
5. Other Eligibility Requirements:
- Must be a citizen of India and of good character.
- If married, must not have more than one living spouse, except where exempted under applicable personal law.
6. Sportsperson:
- Candidates claiming reservation as Sportsperson must possess a valid Sportsperson Identity Card issued by the Sports & Youth Services Department, Government of Odisha, at the time of application and upload a scanned copy.
7. Persons with Disabilities (PwDs):
- Must possess a Permanent Disability Certificate / UDID card with at least 40% disability in the relevant category.
- Must meet the physical and functional requirements for the post and enter details in the online application.
- Benchmark PwDs are entitled to compensatory time (20 minutes per hour) in the written test and may avail a scribe with prior permission.
- Exclusions: PwDs are not eligible for Forester and Forest Guard posts except Leprosy Cured Persons and Acid Attack Victims as per the prescribed reservation.
8. Ex-Servicemen:
- Must possess Identity Card / Discharge Certificate / other documents supporting defence service.
- Must submit an undertaking that no prior re-employment under the Government of Odisha has been availed.
OSSSC Forest Department Recruitment 2026 out
OSSSC Forest Department Recruitment 2026 out : Fee Structure
- As per the Odisha Payment of Recruitment Examination Fees and Refund Rules, 2025, candidates other than SC, ST, and PwDs are required to pay an examination fee of ₹500. Payment can be made via Net Banking, Credit Card, Debit Card, or UPI through the online payment gateway during the application process.
- SC, ST, and PwD candidates are exempted from paying the examination fee.
- The examination fee of ₹500 will be refunded to candidates who actually appear for the examination, after the conduct of the exam and verification of attendance records.
- Refunds will be credited to the bank account or payment method used at the time of registration. Applicants are advised to use their own account to avoid inconvenience.
- No refund will be provided to applicants who fail to appear for the examination for any reason.
- In case the Confirmation Page is not generated after payment, the transaction will be cancelled and the amount refunded within 48 hours. Candidates must then make a fresh payment to complete the application process. OSSSC Forest Department Recruitment 2026 out for 1518 Posts
OSSSC Forest Department Recruitment 2026 out: Age Limits
- Constable
- Forester: Minimum age 18 years and maximum age 32 years.
- Forest Guard: Age must be within 18–32 years, as on 1 January 2025.
- Excise Constable: Minimum age 21 years and maximum age 32 years, as on 1 January 2025.
- Age Relaxation:
- SC/ST/SEBC/Women: Upper age limit relaxable by 5 years.
- Persons with Disabilities (PwDs): Upper age limit relaxable by 10 years.
- Ex-Servicemen: Upper age relaxable by the total period of defence service rendered, provided not more than six months of service remain as of the last date of online application, and subject to conditions regarding prior re-employment.
- Candidates belonging to more than one category are eligible for only one relaxation, which is most beneficial, except for PwDs under SC/ST/SEBC, who are entitled to a cumulative 10 years relaxation over the normal category relaxation, as per the Odisha Civil Service (Fixation of Upper Age Limit) Rules, 1989.
- OSSSC Forest Department Recruitment 2026 out for 1518 Posts
Total Post
1518 Posts
OSSSC Forest Department Recruitment 2026 out : Vacancy Details
AIIMS Bilaspur Proffesor Notification 2026 : Ag
| Post Name | Group | Department | Total Posts | Scale of Pay & Pay Matrix Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forester | Group C | Forest, Environment & Climate Change Department (FE & CC) | 47 | ₹ 25500–81100, Pay Matrix Level-7, Cell-1 |
| Forest Guard | Group C | Forest, Environment & Climate Change Department (FE & CC) | 896 | ₹ 19900–63200, Pay Matrix Level-4, Cell-01 |
| Excise Constable | Group C | Excise Department | 575 | ₹ 19900–63200, Pay Matrix Level-4, Cell-01 |
| Total | 1518 | |||
Forester – Circle-wise Vacancy Breakup (Annexure-I)
| Territorial Circle | UR (W) | ST (W) | SC (W) | SEBC (W) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angul Territorial Circle | 3 (2) | 1 (-) | 1 (1) | – (-) | 8 |
| Baripada Territorial Circle | 1 (-) | – (-) | – (-) | – (-) | 1 |
| Berhampur Territorial Circle | 7 (4) | 1 (-) | 1 (1) | 1 (-) | 15 |
| Koraput Territorial Circle | 3 (1) | – (-) | – (-) | – (-) | 4 |
| Rourkela Territorial Circle | 3 (1) | 2 (-) | 1 (-) | – (-) | 7 |
| Sambalpur Territorial Circle | 6 (3) | 1 (-) | 1 (-) | 1 (-) | 12 |
| Total Forester | UR/ST/SC/SEBC as above | 47 | |||
Excise Constable – District-wise Vacancy Breakup (Annexure-III)
| District | UR (W) | ST (W) | SC (W) | SEBC (W) | Total | EX-SERV (included) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angul | 7 (3) | 2 (1) | 3 (1) | 3 (1) | 21 | 1 |
| Balangir | 6 (3) | 5 (3) | 2 (1) | 2 (1) | 23 | 1 |
| Balasore | 14 (7) | 5 (3) | 5 (3) | 1 (-) | 38 | 1 |
| Bargarh | – (-) | 2 (1) | 2 (1) | 1 (-) | 7 | – |
| Bhadrak | 5 (3) | 3 (1) | 1 (1) | 1 (1) | 16 | – |
| Total Excise Constable | 575 | 13 | ||||
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OSSSC Forest Department Recruitment 2026 out for 1518 Posts
| OSSSC Forest Department Recruitment 2026 out: Mode Of Selection |
| Stage-I: Written Test Mode & Marks: 100 marks, MCQ type, conducted in OMR/CBRE mode, at a minimum standard of the High School Certificate Examination. Test Pattern: Mathematics: 20 questions – 20 marks General Studies: 25 questions – 25 marks English: 20 questions – 20 marks Odia: 15 questions – 15 marks Computer: 20 questions – 20 marks Duration: 1½ hours Negative Marking: 0.25 marks deducted for each wrong answer; multiple answers marked for a question are treated as wrong. No penalty for unattempted questions. Minimum Qualifying Marks: ST, SC, PwD, Ex-Servicemen, and Sportsperson: 30% All other candidates: 35% Language: Questions and options will be bilingual, except English and Odia. In case of discrepancy, the English version prevails. CBRE Mode: Examination may be conducted on multiple dates/shifts with multiple question sets; normalization formula will be used to convert raw scores to normalized scores. Test Centre Preference: Candidates may select up to 3 preferred districts; the Commission may allot another district based on infrastructure/capacity. Bonus Marks (Excise Constable): NCC ‘B’ Certificate: 1 mark NCC ‘C’ Certificate: 2 marks Stage-II: Physical Test Components: Physical Standard Measurement (PSM) and Physical Efficiency Test (PET) for all posts. Shortlisting: Number of candidates for physical test shall be at least 3 times the vacancies, category-wise, subject to Commission’s discretion. Physical Standard Measurement (PSM): Forester/Forest Guard: Men UR/SEBC/SC: Height 168 cm, Chest 81 cm unexpanded (up to 5 cm expansion) Men ST: Height 158 cm Women UR/SEBC/SC/ST: Height 153 cm Color blindness disqualifies Excise Constable: Men UR/SEBC: Height 168 cm, Weight 55 kg, Chest 79–84 cm Men SC/ST: Height 163 cm, Weight 50 kg, Chest 76–81 cm Women UR/SEBC: Height 158 cm, Weight 47.5 kg Women SC/ST: Height 153 cm, Weight 45 kg Minimum 5 cm difference between unexpanded and expanded chest Physical Efficiency Test (PET): Forester/Forest Guard: Male: Walk 25 km in 4 hours Female: Walk 16 km in 4 hours Excise Constable: Male: Run 1.6 km in 7 min & Long Jump 3.66 m in 3 attempts Female: Run 1.6 km in 9 min & Long Jump 2.75 m in 3 attempts Note: Failure in any PSM/PET event leads to disqualification for that post. Merit Lists & Further Stages Provisional Master Merit List of Written Test Provisional Screening List for Physical Test Provisional Merit List of Physical Test Screening List for Document Verification Document Verification by District Level Board Counselling for post and district/circle/division choice Post-wise and District/Circle/Division-wise Provisional Select Lists based on merit-cum-choice and availability Important Notes OSSSC reserves the right to conduct additional/re-tests for Written or Physical Tests. The Commission may reschedule tests, cancel part or whole recruitment, and make final decisions regarding eligibility, selection, and debarment. OSSSC Forest Department Recruitment 2026 out for 1518 Posts |
| OSSSC Forest Department Recruitment 2026 out: General Information |
| Applications must be submitted online only through the OSSSC website: www.osssc.gov.in. Incomplete applications or applications submitted through any other mode will be rejected outright. All eligibility criteria, except age, must be met by the last date of online application submission. Provisional Admission/Intimation Letters for the Written Test and Physical Test will be uploaded on the Commission’s website well before the exam dates. Test dates will also be notified in local newspapers. Candidates must download their Admission/Intimation Letters from www.osssc.gov.in using their User ID and Password. No printed letters will be sent by post or any other means. Applicants are advised to regularly visit the Commission’s website for notices, exam schedules, results, and other updates. Information uploaded on the website is not accessible under the RTI Act, 2005 and will remain online only for a specific period. Candidates should download and retain necessary documents. Candidature is purely provisional and may be rejected at any stage for inadequacy, deficiency, misrepresentation, suppression, false information, or use of unfair means. Multiple applications from the same candidate are not allowed. Such cases will lead to cancellation of results and will be considered unfair practice. Candidates who fail to appear or qualify at any stage of the recruitment process will not be considered for final selection. The Commission will sponsor exactly the number of candidates equal to the advertised vacancies, category-wise, based on merit and availability. The decision of the Commission regarding eligibility, acceptance/rejection of applications, penalties, selection procedure, exam conduct, test centre allocation, merit list preparation, post allocation, and debarment will be final and binding. No correspondence will be entertained. OSSSC Forest Department Recruitment 2026 out for 1518 Posts |
How to Apply
Step 1: Application Fee
- Visit the OSSSC website: www.osssc.gov.in and refer to “How do I register/re-register/apply” on the Home page for a step-by-step procedure.
- 1. Registration (New User):
- Fresh candidates who have not registered earlier for any OSSSC recruitment must register by clicking “Apply Online” on the Home page and completing the Registration Form.
- 2. Re-registration (Registered User):
- Candidates who are already registered for other OSSSC posts with a User ID must login and select “Re-registration” under the Applicant Menu for this recruitment.
- Note: Mere registration or re-registration does not constitute submission of the Online Application. Candidates must login again, provide all required details, and submit the Online Application Form as guided by the system.
- Incomplete applications will be summarily rejected, and no Admission Letter will be issued to candidates with incomplete applications or those who do not meet eligibility criteria.
- Pre-requisites for Online Application
- Examination Fee: ₹500 (for non-SC/ST/PwDs)
- Scanned Signature: Full specimen signature in jpg/jpeg/png format (20–50 KB)
- Scanned Photograph: Recent passport-size color photograph in jpg/jpeg/png format (20–100 KB)
- Certificates & Mark Sheets: Required for entering educational details
- The photograph and signature must be clearly visible; otherwise, the registration/application may be rejected.
- Candidates must use their own valid personal e-mail ID and mobile number, which should remain active until the completion of the recruitment, for receiving the Activation Key, alerts, and Admission Letters. These details should not be shared or changed.
- Submit the Online Application well before the last date to avoid delays or last-minute issues in the system.
SOME USEFUL IMPORTANT LINKS
| Apply Online | Click Here |
| Download Full Notification | Click Here |
| Official Website | Click Here |
| Back to Sarkari Home | Click Here |
| Download Previous Papers | Click Here |
OSSSC Forest Department Recruitment 2026 out
OSSSC Forester, Forest Guard, and Excise Constable Recruitment 2026 – FAQs
Q1. When does the online application for OSSSC Forester, Forest Guard, and Excise Constable 2026 begin?
- The online application process starts on 07 January 2026.
Q2. What is the last date to apply online for OSSSC Forester, Forest Guard, and Excise Constable 2026?
- The last date to submit online applications is 30 January 2026.
Q3. What are the educational qualifications required to apply?
- Candidates must have completed 12th (+2) or 10th (High School) from a recognized Board or Institution, depending on the post.
Q4. What is the maximum age limit to apply?
- The upper age limit is 32 years, with age relaxation applicable as per rules for SC/ST, SEBC, PwDs, Women, and Ex-Servicemen.
OSSSC Forest Department Recruitment 2026 out