OPSC AFO Recruitment 2026 — 44 Vacancies

Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) is hiring 44 Assistant Fisheries Officers for the Odisha Fisheries Service Cadre through a Special Recruitment drive for SC and ST candidates. If you have a Bachelor's Degree in Fishery Science (B.F.Sc.), you can apply online at opsc.gov.in. The last date to apply is 24 August 2026. Selected candidates will start on a salary of Rs. 44,900 per month under Level-10 of the Pay Matrix.

Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) Assistant Fisheries Officer Recruitment 2026 - 44 Posts

OPSC has released Advertisement No. 05 of 2026-27 for Special Recruitment to 44 Assistant Fisheries Officer (Group-B) posts of the Odisha Fisheries Service Cadre, under the Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department. This drive is reserved exclusively for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates, with 13 of the 44 posts kept for women. An Assistant Fisheries Officer works at the block or district level to promote fish farming, monitor hatcheries and fish seed production, and help implement state aquaculture schemes for local fish farmers. Odisha has a long coastline and thousands of ponds, tanks and reservoirs, so trained fisheries officers play a direct role in raising farmer incomes and boosting fish production across the state.

• Scheduled Caste (SC): 1 post
• Scheduled Tribe (ST): 43 posts (13 reserved for women)
• Ex-Servicemen: 1 post reserved (adjusted within SC/ST category)
• PwD Cat-I (Visually Impaired): 1 post reserved
• PwD Cat-II (Hearing Impaired): 1 post reserved

Ex-Servicemen and PwD candidates are adjusted against the category they belong to. Exchange of vacancies between SC and ST is not allowed, and OPSC can change the total number of posts without prior notice.

Who Can Apply?

• Qualification: You need a Bachelor's Degree in Fishery Science (B.F.Sc.) from a recognized university in India or abroad.
• Nationality: You must be a citizen of India.
• Odia Language: You must be able to read, write and speak Odia. You can prove this by passing the Middle School Examination with Odia as a subject, Matriculation (Class 10) with Odia as the medium, Class VII with Odia as a language subject, or an equivalent Odia proficiency test conducted by the School & Mass Education Department.
• Category: Only Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates are eligible to apply under this Special Recruitment.

Age Limit

• You should be between 21 and 47 years old as on 1 January 2026.
• Age Relaxation: SC/ST candidates with Persons with Disabilities (PwD) status of 40% or more get 10 years of relaxation, raising the upper age limit to 57 years.
• No other age relaxation is admissible for this recruitment.

Salary

• Selected candidates will get a salary of Rs. 44,900 per month under Level-10 of the Pay Matrix as per the ORSP Rules, 2017.
• You will also get DA, HRA and other usual allowances as per Odisha Government rules.

Application Fee

• All candidates: No fee — this Special Recruitment drive for SC/ST candidates does not require any application fee. This is different from most OPSC recruitments, which usually charge Rs. 500 to Rs. 700 for General and SEBC candidates, so make the most of this fee waiver.

Selection Process

OPSC will select candidates through 2 stages:

1. Written Examination: An objective type test covering Fisheries Science topics like Freshwater Aquaculture, Fish Genetics and Breeding, Fish Nutrition and Feed Technology, Coastal Aquaculture and Mariculture, and Finfish Hatchery Management. The exam carries 800 marks in total, with 2 marks for every correct answer and no negative marking for wrong answers.
2. Viva Voce (Interview): Carries 100 marks. Only candidates who clear the written exam are called for interview, at about 2 times the number of vacancies in each category, subject to a minimum of 5 candidates per category.

Your final rank in the merit list depends on your combined score in the written exam and interview. OPSC prepares a separate merit list for the SC and ST categories based on the notified vacancies, and appointment offers are issued in order of merit within each category.

How to Apply

1. Go to the OPSC website at opsc.gov.in.
2. Find the Assistant Fisheries Officer (Advertisement No. 05 of 2026-27) notification link.
3. Register yourself and fill in the online application form with your personal, educational and category details.
4. Upload your photo, signature and required certificates, including your caste certificate and Odia language proof.
5. Review your application carefully before submitting — no fee payment is required.
6. Submit the form online and save a printout for your records.

Keep your B.F.Sc. certificate, caste certificate and Odia language proof scanned and ready before you start the form — the OPSC portal does not let you save a partially filled application for long.

Important Dates

• Online Application Start Date: 24 July 2026
• Last Date to Apply Online: 24 August 2026 (5:00 PM)
• Written Examination Date: 26 September 2026 (Saturday)

• Promote fish farming and aquaculture development in the assigned block or district
• Implement state fisheries development schemes and subsidy programs for farmers
• Monitor fish seed production, hatcheries and fish farms under your jurisdiction
• Inspect ponds, reservoirs and coastal fishery units for compliance and productivity
• Guide and train local fish farmers on modern aquaculture and breeding techniques
• Maintain technical records, production data and departmental reports
• Coordinate with the District Fisheries Office on scheme implementation and disbursal
• Support disease surveillance and welfare measures for fish and aquaculture stock