OPSC Civil Judge Bharti 2026: A Strong Judiciary Opening for Odisha Advocates
The Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) has issued Advertisement No. 02 of 2026-27 for 78 Civil Judge (Junior Division) posts in the Odisha Judicial Service for the year 2025. The Junior Branch entry pay scale is a powerful ₹77,840 – ₹1,36,520 per month plus DA and allowances, making this one of the most prestigious state-level openings on GovtJobsAlert.in right now.
Applications open at the OPSC online portal from 8 May 2026 and close on 8 June 2026 at 5:00 PM. The Preliminary Examination is scheduled for Sunday, 5 July 2026. If you are a law graduate with at least three years of practice as an advocate and Odia language proficiency, this is a clean shot at a Class I Gazetted judicial post. Read on for vacancies, eligibility, exam pattern and the apply walkthrough.
Key Highlights — OPSC Civil Judge Recruitment 2026
OPSC, headquartered at Cuttack, conducts the Civil Judge selection on behalf of the Law Department, Government of Odisha. The 78 posts include 26 reserved for women across categories, with 3 horizontal seats for Persons with Benchmark Disability.
- Post Name: Civil Judge (Junior Division)
- Total Vacancies: 78 posts (26 women reserved)
- Pay Scale: ₹77,840 – ₹1,36,520 per month plus DA & allowances
- Eligibility: LLB + minimum 3 years practice as advocate as on 1 April 2025
- Job Location: Across Odisha
- Last Date to Apply: 8 June 2026
OPSC Civil Judge Vacancy Breakdown 2026
Below is the category-wise distribution. Three PwBD horizontal seats cover Blindness & Low Vision, Orthopedically Handicapped, and Deaf & Hard of Hearing categories.
| Category | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Unreserved (UR) | 35 |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 18 |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 13 |
| Socially & Economically Backward Class (SEBC) | 9 |
| PwBD (horizontal) | 3 |
| Total | 78 |
Within the totals, 26 posts are reserved for women as per Odisha rules. The category split for women is 12 UR, 4 SC, 6 ST, 3 SEBC and 1 PwBD.
OPSC Civil Judge Eligibility Criteria 2026
Educational Qualification
- Graduate in Law (LL.B.) from a recognised university or Government-recognised institution
- Minimum 03 years of practice as an advocate as on 1 April 2025
- Period of experience as Law Clerk or Research Assistant to any Judge, Judicial Officer or Constitutional Authority counts towards practice
- Must be able to read, write and speak Odia fluently — Middle English School (Class VII) standard certificate required
- Indian citizenship is mandatory
Age Limit
- Minimum age: 23 years (as on 1 April 2025)
- Maximum age: 42 years
- Date of Birth window: not earlier than 2 April 1983 and not later than 1 April 2002
- Age relaxation: SC, ST, SEBC, Women, Ex-Servicemen, SSCO Defence personnel — 5 years; PwBD — 10 years (over and above category relaxation); Law Clerk / Research Assistant — 7 years
- Only one (the most beneficial) relaxation is admissible if a candidate qualifies under multiple categories
What is the Salary for OPSC Civil Judge 2026?
The Civil Judge Junior Division entry pay scale is ₹77,840 – ₹1,36,520 per month plus dearness allowance and other allowances sanctioned by the Government of Odisha.
- Entry Basic Pay: ₹77,840 per month
- Maximum Basic in Scale: ₹1,36,520 per month
- Allowances: Usual DA, HRA, judicial allowance and other admissible perks per Odisha rules
- Pension: Contributory Pension Scheme / NPS for those joining on or after 01.01.2005
In-hand monthly pay at entry typically lands between ₹95,000 and ₹1,05,000 once DA and HRA are added — among the strongest state judicial entry packages in eastern India.
Civil Judges are placed across district and sub-divisional courts in Odisha and become eligible for promotion to Senior Division and ultimately the Higher Judicial Service over the years.
What is the Selection Process for OPSC Civil Judge 2026?
The selection is a classic three-stage Odisha Judicial Service process. Preliminary marks are screening only; final merit is built on the Main Examination plus Interview.
- Preliminary Written Examination — 100 objective MCQs, 100 marks, 1.5 hours, OMR-based
- Main Written Examination — Compulsory English (150 marks) + Procedural Laws (150 marks) + 3 optional papers (150 each)
- Interview — 100 marks, with 40% qualifying minimum mandatory for inclusion in the merit list
Preliminary Exam Pattern
- 100 questions of 1 mark each, negative marking 0.25 per wrong answer
- Subjects: Constitution, CPC, CrPC + BNSS 2023, Evidence Act + BSA 2023, IPC + BNS 2023, Limitation Act, Transfer of Property, Contract, Succession, Specific Relief, Domestic Violence Act 2005
- Qualifying marks: 35% for SC / ST / PwBD; 40% for others
- Exam centres: Balasore, Berhampur, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Jeypore, Sambalpur
Mains Pattern
- Two compulsory papers: General English (150) + Procedural Laws (150) — each 2.5 hours
- Three optional papers from: Crime & Torts; Personal Laws; Law of Property; Law of Contract; Jurisprudence & Constitution
- Qualifying for interview: 45% aggregate plus 33% per paper (40% / 30% for PwBD)
- 1:3 mains-to-interview ratio applies
How to Apply Online for OPSC Civil Judge 2026?
Applications are accepted only through the OPSC e-Chayan portal. Keep scanned documents ready before starting.
- Visit the apply portal listed in Essential Links below
- Register or log in with One Time Registration credentials
- Open the Civil Judge advertisement and start a fresh application
- Fill personal, educational, category and practice-experience details accurately
- Upload photo, signature, LLB certificate, mark sheets, Odia certificate, caste / category proof and PwBD certificate as applicable
- Pay the application fee online — Net Banking, Card or UPI
- Choose any 02 zones for the Preliminary on a first-come-first-served basis
- Submit and save the acknowledgement
Important Dates — OPSC Civil Judge 2026
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification Date | 30 April 2026 |
| Application Start Date | 8 May 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply | 8 June 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| Preliminary Exam Date | 5 July 2026 (Sunday) |
| Main Examination Date | To be notified |
OPSC Civil Judge Application Fees 2026
The fee is online only. SC, ST and PwD candidates are exempted, and the fee is refunded to all candidates who actually appear in the Preliminary Exam.
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General / OBC / Others | ₹700 |
| SC / ST / PwD | Exempted |
Acceptable payment modes are Credit Card, Debit Card, UPI, Net Banking and Wallet. Applications without fee payment (except SC / ST / PwD) are rejected as incomplete.
Essential Links — OPSC Civil Judge Recruitment 2026
- Download Official Notification PDF
- Apply Online for OPSC Civil Judge 2026
- Visit OPSC Official Website
- Join WhatsApp Channel for Government Jobs
- Join Telegram Channel for Government Jobs
- Join Telegram for Odisha Govt Jobs
If you are an Odia-speaking advocate with three years at the Bar, OPSC Civil Judge 2026 is the most direct path into the Odisha Judicial Service this year. Block 5 July 2026 in your calendar and start revising the bare acts and BNS / BSA / BNSS now. For more openings, browse Odisha government jobs on GovtJobsAlert.in.