OSSSC Nursing Officer Recruitment 2026: 5,989 Posts in Odisha, Apply by 13 July
Lokesh Rathore
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The Odisha Sub-Ordinate Staff Selection Commission (OSSSC) has opened one of the largest health recruitments of the year, and OSSSC Nursing Officer Recruitment 2026 is now live for nursing candidates across the state. A total of 5,989 Nursing Officer posts are on offer under the Health and Family Welfare Department, spread across all 30 districts on a District Cadre basis. It suits GNM diploma holders and B.Sc Nursing graduates aged 21 to 42 who are registered with the Odisha Nursing Council. Online registration opened on 13 June 2026, and the last date to submit your application is 13 July 2026, so there is still a short window to apply.
5,989 Nursing Officer posts across all 30 Odisha districts
Here is the quick reference, with every figure taken from the commission’s own notice.
| Detail | What the notice says |
|---|---|
| Recruiting body | Odisha Sub-Ordinate Staff Selection Commission (OSSSC) |
| Post | Nursing Officer (District Cadre), Group-C |
| Department | Health and Family Welfare Department, Odisha |
| Total vacancies | 5,989 (across all 30 districts) |
| Qualification | +2 pass with GNM diploma or B.Sc Nursing (INC recognised) |
| Age | 21 to 42 years as on 12 June 2026 |
| Registration window | 13 June to 6 July 2026 |
| Last date to submit | 13 July 2026 |
| Pay | Level-8, basic Rs 29,200 (scale Rs 29,200 to Rs 92,300) |
| Mode | Online only, via osssc.gov.in |
The vacancies are split by category as UR 2,821, ST 1,588, SC 971 and SEBC 609, with roughly one third of seats reserved horizontally for women, plus separate provision for ex-servicemen, sportspersons and persons with disabilities. Koraput has the highest district share at 619 posts.
Who can apply: qualification and council registration
The eligibility bar here is specific to nursing, so a general degree will not qualify you. You need to have passed +2 (10+2) and hold either a GNM diploma or a B.Sc Nursing qualification from an institution recognised and approved by the Indian Nursing Council. On top of that, your name must be registered with the Odisha Nursing Council, and you must hold a valid registration or renewal certificate on the date you submit the online form. If nursing is not your line, you can still filter every fresh government opening by your own qualification and state on our job finder.
Age band and the relaxations that apply
The age window runs from 21 to 42 years, counted as on 12 June 2026, which is the date of the advertisement. Relaxation of up to 5 years applies to SC, ST, SEBC and women candidates, and up to 10 years for persons with disabilities. Ex-servicemen get relaxation by the full length of their defence service, and serving contractual Nursing Officers under the state health scheme, along with ASHAs, can go up to 45 years. Only one relaxation, whichever is most favourable, is allowed per candidate.
Salary: what Pay Level-8 actually means
Many pages will quote a confident take-home figure, so here is what the notice actually fixes. The post carries Pay Matrix Level-8, Cell-1, under the ORSP 2017 rules, which means an entry basic pay of Rs 29,200 on a scale that runs up to Rs 92,300. This is a regular Group-C government post, not a contractual one, so on top of the basic you would be eligible for the usual allowances such as dearness allowance and house rent allowance, as applicable under Odisha government rules. The notification does not print a fixed monthly in-hand figure, so treat any exact take-home number you see elsewhere as an estimate, not an official one.
Important dates you should not miss
The timeline is tight, and the two dates get confused often, so read them carefully. Online registration and re-registration run from 13 June to 6 July 2026. The window to fill and submit the actual online application runs until 13 July 2026, which is the true last date. The written test date and venue have not been announced yet and will be intimated later through the portal and your admission letter. There is no standard correction window fixed in the notice.
Application fee, and the refund you can get back
The application fee is Rs 500 for all candidates, while SC, ST and persons with disabilities are exempt. Payment is online only, through net banking, debit card, credit card or UPI, at the time you submit the form. There is one detail worth knowing: under Odisha’s 2025 examination fee rules, the Rs 500 is refunded to candidates who actually appear for the examination, with the money returned to your own bank account. Candidates who register but skip the exam do not get a refund.
How candidates will be selected
Selection is based on a single written test, with no interview. The commission prepares a provisional merit list from the test, then calls candidates for document verification at a ratio of at least 1.25 times the vacancies, category-wise. Document verification happens before the District Level Board at the collector’s office, followed by validation by the district medical authority. Your written test score is what carries you all the way, so that is where your preparation counts.
Written test pattern and subjects
The written test is a single MCQ paper of 100 questions for 100 marks in 2 hours, taken either on OMR sheets or as a computer-based test, with the exact mode to be notified later. The marks are split as 60 for nursing subjects, 25 for practical skills, 10 for arithmetic at HSC standard and 5 for English at HSC standard. There is negative marking of 0.25 mark for each wrong answer, so guesswork is risky. The qualifying cut-off is 35 percent for general candidates and 30 percent for ST, SC, persons with disabilities, ex-servicemen and sportspersons.
The Odia language condition that can trip you up
Here is a state-specific rule that quietly disqualifies outsiders. You must be able to read, write and speak Odia, and you have to satisfy at least one recognised proof, such as having passed Odia as a subject up to Middle School standard, or studied in Odia medium up to Matriculation, or passed the Odia language test conducted by the state School and Mass Education Department. Sort this out before you rely on your eligibility. For every other current opening in the state, our Odisha jobs page keeps a running list.
How to apply online at osssc.gov.in
Applications are accepted online only. Work through it in this order:
- Open the OSSSC portal and register as a new user, or use re-registration if you already have an account.
- Log in and fill the online application exactly as your certificates read.
- Keep your scanned photo, signature, mark sheets and a valid Odisha Nursing Council registration certificate ready in the sizes the form asks for.
- List up to three district preferences, keeping in mind that this is a district cadre and postings stay within the allotted district.
- Pay the Rs 500 fee if applicable, submit the form and save a copy of the confirmation.
One safety note that matters: apply only on the official website, and remember that a genuine government recruiter never asks you to pay any unofficial fee.
A few points nursing candidates keep asking about this OSSSC drive:
What is the real last date to apply for OSSSC Nursing Officer 2026?
The registration window runs until 6 July 2026, and the window to fill and submit the online application runs until 13 July 2026, which is the last date that matters for completing your form.
Can a GNM diploma holder apply, or is B.Sc Nursing required?
A GNM diploma holder is eligible. The notice accepts either a GNM diploma or a B.Sc Nursing qualification, as long as it is from an Indian Nursing Council recognised institution and you hold a valid Odisha Nursing Council registration.
Is the Rs 500 application fee really refunded?
Yes, for candidates who appear in the examination. Under Odisha’s 2025 fee rules the Rs 500 is returned to the applicant’s own bank account after they sit the exam. Candidates who do not appear are not refunded, and SC, ST and PwD candidates are exempt from the fee to begin with.
Is there an interview for Nursing Officer selection?
No. Selection is based on the written test followed by document verification. There is no interview, so your test score decides your place in the merit list.
Do I need to know Odia to apply?
Yes. You must be able to read, write and speak Odia and prove it through one of the accepted routes, such as passing Odia as a subject up to Middle School standard or studying in Odia medium up to Matriculation.
