Bhubaneswar: Uncertainty surrounding the Police Sub-Inspector (SI) recruitment examination has sparked growing unrest among aspirants across the state.
Citing alleged corruption and the sale of government jobs, the student body Students Against Corruption intensified pressure on the state government and announced a protest February 5 during a press conference here Tuesday.
The controversy centres on an alleged question paper leak in the Police SI exam, which is currently under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
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Termed one of the state’s biggest recruitment scams, the probe has been shifted from the Crime Branch to the CBI.
However, the continued delay in announcing a fresh examination date has fueled dissatisfaction among thousands of meritorious candidates.
Addressing the media here, leaders of Students Against Corruption strongly criticised the government for its inaction.
The organisation’s convener, Bibhuti Bhushan Mohapatra, said that the agitation has been called to remind the government about both the status of the CBI investigation and the long-pending Police SI examination.
He alleged that the government appears to have “forgotten” about the SI recruitment process altogether and demanded the immediate declaration of an examination date.
Issuing an indirect warning, Mohapatra said that if the government fails to act, students will be forced to take to the “Gandhian path” of protest.
Accordingly, the organisation has fixed February 5 as the date for the agitation.
The group further demanded a thorough CBI investigation into the SI recruitment case, urging strict action against senior officials involved in the scam.
They emphasised that only decisive action can put an end to the alleged sale of government jobs and uproot recruitment corruption in the state.
Highlighting the gravity of the issue, Mohapatra pointed out that the SI examination had already been cancelled twice and that despite the recruitment notification being issued in 2024, the government has failed to announce an examination date even in 2026.
He said this raises serious questions about the government’s administrative capability and has created immense mental stress and uncertainty for lakhs of aspirants regarding their future.
The press conference was attended by organisation members and aspirants, including Soumya Anupras, Smruti Ranjan Acharya, Bighnesh Patel, Santosh Sahu, Mahesh Kumar Banshur, and Vishnu Prasad, among others.
