The Odisha government on Friday issued a formal clarification declaring that a purported official order claiming changes to the eligibility criteria and educational qualifications for Trained Graduate Teachers (TGTs) under the Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya Sangathan (OAVS) is fake, fabricated, and unauthorized.
The fraudulent document, bearing letter number No. 21897/SME and dated October 5, 2026, had been widely circulated across social media platforms, triggering confusion and anxiety among thousands of teaching job aspirants.
The fake notification falsely claimed that the state government had approved revised eligibility norms and educational benchmarks for several TGT subject disciplines—including Social Science, Mathematics, Science, Odia, English, and Computer Science.
“Do Not Panic”: School & Mass Education Department
Responding swiftly to the spreading rumors, the School and Mass Education Department issued an official rebuttal urging candidates preparing for upcoming OAVS recruitment examinations not to be misled by unverified claims.
“This Department has not issued any such letter. The said letter is fake and fabricated. Candidates are advised not to worry or panic over the said fake letter,” the department stated in its clarification.
Advisory to Follow Official Channels Only
The circulation of the fabricated order raised immediate concerns among aspirants regarding potential changes to age limits, subject combinations, and required educational qualifications.
To prevent further misinformation, administrative officials advised candidates to rely exclusively on verified announcements published on the official portals of the School and Mass Education Department and the Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya Sangathan (OAVS).
Aspirants are further encouraged to report fraudulent job notices and cross-check recruitment notifications through official state channels before acting on social media updates.
