As 336 newly trained Sub-Inspectors marched into Odisha Police on Friday, opposition leader Naveen Patnaik offered congratulations — and then drew a sharp contrast.
While one batch completed two years of training and received appointments, he said, thousands of other aspirants remain trapped in uncertainty after a question-paper leak forced the cancellation of a major recruitment exam.
ଗୋଟିଏ ପଟେ ସବ୍-ଇନ୍ସପେକ୍ଟର୍ ବ୍ୟାଚ୍ ପ୍ରଶିକ୍ଷଣ ଶେଷ କରି ନିଯୁକ୍ତି ପାଉଥିବା ବେଳେ, ଅନ୍ୟ ପଟେ ହଜାର ହଜାର ଆଶାୟୀ ପେପର୍ ଲିକ୍ ଯୋଗୁଁ ଏବେ ବି ଅନିଶ୍ଚିତତାରେ।
ଶୁକ୍ରବାର ବିଜୁ ପଟ୍ଟନାୟକ ରାଜ୍ୟ ପୋଲିସ ଏକାଡେମୀରେ ଅନୁଷ୍ଠିତ ୧୩ତମ ବ୍ୟାଚ୍ ଏସ.ଆଇ ଅଧିକାରୀମାନଙ୍କ ଦୀକ୍ଷାନ୍ତ ସମାରୋହରେ ମାନ୍ୟବର ମୁଖ୍ୟମନ୍ତ୍ରୀ ଶ୍ରୀ ମୋହନ ଚରଣ…
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) September 5, 2026
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi took the salute at the passing-out parade of the 13th batch at the Biju Patnaik State Police Academy. Of the 336 officers, 70 are women. Majhi urged them to treat corruption as poison, follow zero-tolerance rules, and use their authority to protect the innocent. He also pointed to recent police expansion, saying thousands of new posts had been created and filled in two years.
Patnaik, the Biju Janata Dal president and Leader of Opposition, said the recruitment process for this batch had begun under the previous BJD government. He wished the new officers well and asked them to strengthen the justice system and serve the public with resolve. Then he turned to what he called the real story: the Combined Police Service Examination cancelled in 2025 after a paper leak.
“The most ironic aspect is that the BJP government is now seeking to take undue credit without doing anything,” he wrote. He asked two direct questions: When will the cancelled exam be held? When will those involved in selling and leaking question papers face strict punishment?
The cancelled test was meant to fill 933 posts, including 609 police Sub-Inspectors, 253 armed SIs, 47 fire station officers and 24 assistant jailers. In late September 2025, days before the scheduled written exam, police intercepted buses carrying more than 100 aspirants allegedly travelling towards Andhra Pradesh to obtain leaked papers. Middlemen were accused of demanding up to Rs 25 lakh per candidate. The exam was cancelled. The state later handed the case to the CBI, citing interstate links. Scores of people were arrested. In May 2026, the Orissa High Court denied bail to 17 accused, calling question-paper leaks a “crime against society” that no civilised society can accept.
Patnaik argued that nearly a year of young people’s time has already been lost. He said the delay weakens their confidence and damages public faith in the fairness of government recruitment. He demanded an immediate notification for a fresh examination.
The government has since shifted the recruitment process from the Odisha Police Recruitment Board to the Odisha Uniformed Services Staff Selection Commission. In July, the commission indicated it hoped to complete the process by October and said earlier applicants would remain eligible. As of early September, no fresh date had been publicly locked in — the gap Patnaik used to press his case.
The passing-out parade was a moment of pride for one cohort. For thousands of others who prepared for the same career path, the wait continues. That contrast is what the former chief minister chose to put at the centre of the day’s political argument.
