Last Updated: 28 June 2026
As of today, the OSSSC Nursing Officer 2026 notification is officially out and applications are open, but the exam date, admit card, cut-off, and result have not been announced. This guide covers what’s confirmed directly from the Odisha Sub-Ordinate Staff Selection Commission’s own notices, and flags clearly where third-party reports disagree with each other.
OSSSC Nursing Officer 2026 Overview
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Recruiting Body | Odisha Sub-Ordinate Staff Selection Commission (OSSSC) |
| Post Name | Nursing Officer (District Cadre, Group-C) |
| Department | Health & Family Welfare Department, Govt. of Odisha |
| Posting Coverage | All 30 districts of Odisha |
| Short Advertisement | No. IIE-54/2026-1896/OSSSC, dated 11.06.2026 |
| Detailed Advertisement | No. IIE-54/2026-1962/OSSSC, dated 12.06.2026 |
| Total Vacancies | 5,989 |
| Official Website | osssc.gov.in |
Both advertisement numbers above are taken directly from the “Recruitment News” listing on OSSSC’s own homepage, so there’s no ambiguity about whether this notification is genuine. That’s worth saying plainly, because a recruitment of this size — nearly 6,000 posts in one go — tends to attract a flood of copy-paste blog coverage, some of it sloppy about dates.
Notification 2026 — What’s Confirmed
OSSSC first put out a short advertisement on 11 June 2026, followed the next day by the detailed advertisement carrying full eligibility, pay, and selection details. The recruitment is being conducted under the Odisha Nursing Service (Method of Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2019, and its subsequent amendments. Selected candidates may also be deployed as Community Health Officers (CHO) by the appointing authorities, which is a detail worth noting if your interest is purely clinical nursing rather than the broader public-health role a CHO posting can involve.
also read; OSSSC Nursing Officer Syllabus 2026 & Exam Pattern, Selection Process, Books PDF
Important Dates 2026
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Short advertisement released | 11 June 2026 |
| Detailed advertisement released | 12 June 2026 |
| Online registration opens | 13 June 2026 |
| Registration/re-registration closes | 6 July 2026 |
| Final date to submit completed application | 13 July 2026 |
| Written exam date | Not yet announced |
| Admit card release | Not yet announced |
| Result/select list | Not yet announced |
Notice that registration and final submission are not the same deadline. Several recruitment portals have quoted only one of these two dates, which is part of why you’ll see “last date 6 July,” “7 July,” and “13 July” all floating around for the same recruitment. Both steps are mandatory and separate — completing registration without submitting the form afterward leaves your application incomplete, and an incomplete application gets rejected outright.
Vacancy 2026 Details and Category Wise Vacancy
The total of 5,989 posts covers Nursing Officer vacancies across all 30 districts of Odisha, with district-wise and category-wise distribution included in the detailed advertisement. None of the secondary sources reviewed for this article reproduce the exact numeric SC/ST/SEBC/UR split or the district-by-district count — that table exists inside the official PDF, not as a copyable summary elsewhere. If district choice matters to your application (and it should, since up to three district preferences are taken during the form), download the actual advertisement rather than trusting a summarised table on a job-alert site.
For context, OSSSC ran a similar Nursing Officer drive in 2023 with 6,432 vacancies under the same department. The 2026 count is somewhat smaller. Whether that makes competition tighter or looser per seat depends on how many fresh GNM/B.Sc Nursing graduates have entered the eligible pool since 2023 — a number nobody can responsibly estimate right now.
Age Limit
This is one area where sources disagree, so it deserves a direct flag rather than a confident single number. The more detailed reports — the ones that also specify exact relaxation slabs — state the age limit as 21 to 42 years as on the date of advertisement (12 June 2026), with SC/ST/SEBC/Women candidates getting a 5-year relaxation (upper limit 47), PwD candidates getting a 10-year relaxation (upper limit 52), and contractual Nursing Officers under the OSH&FW Society/Scheme along with ASHAs getting an upper limit of 45. Other, less detailed reports cite a 21–38 age band instead. Given the level of specificity in the relaxation figures, 21–42 appears to be the better-supported reading, but this is a case where you should personally confirm your own date-of-birth eligibility against the PDF rather than relying on either number from a summary article — including this one.
Education Qualification
- Passed 10+2 or its equivalent.
- Hold a GNM (General Nursing and Midwifery) Diploma or a B.Sc. Nursing degree from an institution recognised by the Indian Nursing Council (INC).
- Hold a valid Registration or Renewal Certificate from the Odisha Nursing Council, or any State Nursing Council recognised by the Nursing Council of India, valid as on the date of submission of the online application — not merely as on the date of the advertisement. That distinction matters if your registration is due for renewal between now and 13 July.
- Able to speak, read, and write Odia, and have passed the Middle School Examination (Class 7 or above) with Odia as a language subject, or its equivalent.
Out-of-state GNM/B.Sc Nursing graduates with an Odisha Nursing Council registration sometimes overlook the Odia-language clause, assuming a nursing qualification alone is sufficient. It isn’t; the language requirement is listed as a separate eligibility condition, not a tie-breaker applied later.
Application Fee
A flat examination fee of ₹500 applies to all candidates, with a complete exemption for SC, ST, and PwD candidates, who pay no fee at all. There is no mention in the reviewed sources of a separate concession for women, EWS, or Ex-servicemen categories for this specific advertisement, so don’t assume one exists without checking the PDF.
read more; Karnataka Police Constable Recruitment 2026
Selection Process 2026
Selection is based purely on the written examination, followed by document verification — there is no interview.
| Stage | Detail |
|---|---|
| Written Examination | 100 marks, OMR-based objective test |
| Minimum Qualifying Marks | 35% (General/UR); 30% (ST/SC/SEBC/PwD/Ex-Servicemen/Sportsperson) |
| Document Verification | Shortlisted at 1.25 times the number of vacancies, category-wise |
| Provisional Select List | Equal to advertised vacancies, category-wise, based on merit and district preference |
| Physical Counselling | Optional, at the Commission’s discretion, for district allocation |
Tie-breaking among candidates with equal marks follows a defined sequence: fewer wrong attempts first, then higher percentage in the GNM/B.Sc Nursing qualifying exam, then age seniority (older candidates ranked higher), then higher marks in +2, and finally the Commission’s discretion if a tie still remains.
Exam Pattern 2026
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Subjects as per Syllabus (Annexure-II) | 60 | 60 |
| Practical Skills (clinical scenarios/procedures) | 25 | 25 |
| Arithmetic (High School level) | 10 | 10 |
| English (High School level) | 5 | 5 |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
Duration is 2 hours, and 0.25 marks are deducted for every wrong answer. The Commission has reserved the right to conduct the test in OMR mode or shift to a computer-based format, and has explicitly reserved the right to cancel or reschedule any part of the process for technical or unavoidable reasons — a standard clause, but one that explains why OSSSC exam dates sometimes move at short notice.
Syllabus 2026
The written test’s subject-specific section (Annexure-II) draws from the standard nursing curriculum: Anatomy & Physiology, Microbiology, Psychology, Sociology, Nursing Foundation, First Aid, Community Health Nursing, Nutrition, Medical-Surgical/Adult Health Nursing (aligned to the revised B.Sc Nursing syllabus, 2021), Mental Health Nursing, Child Health Nursing, Midwifery & Gynaecological Nursing, Nursing Education, Research and Statistics, Professionalism and Professional Values & Ethics, and Nursing Administration & Management. The Practical Skills section is reported to be scenario-based rather than purely textbook recall, so revising clinical procedures and decision-making in common ward situations is at least as useful as re-reading theory notes.
Salary 2026 and Job Profile
Selected candidates are placed at Pay Matrix Level-8, Cell-01 under the Odisha Revised Scale of Pay (ORSP) Rules, 2017, with a starting basic pay of ₹29,200 per month, rising along the pay band to ₹92,300, plus Dearness Allowance and other allowances as per government rules. This is a permanent Group-C post within the district cadre, meaning your posting and any transfers stay within the allotted district rather than moving freely across the state.
Day-to-day, the role covers direct patient care — observing, assessing, and recording patient symptoms and progress — alongside maternal and child health duties, health promotion, and disease prevention work typical of Odisha’s primary and community health infrastructure. Some selected candidates may additionally be deployed as Community Health Officers depending on the appointing authority’s requirement, which can mean broader public-health and outreach responsibilities rather than ward-based nursing alone.
Previous Year Cut Off
There is no officially confirmed cut-off for this 2026 advertisement, obviously, since the exam hasn’t been held. Looking at OSSSC’s last comparable cycle gives partial but incomplete context. The 2023 Nursing Officer recruitment (6,432 vacancies, same Health & Family Welfare Department) used an identical qualifying-marks structure — 35% for General/UR candidates and 30% for ST/SC/SEBC/PwD/Ex-Servicemen/Sports categories — and its provisional select list was published on 30 October 2023. What isn’t available in any source checked here is the actual category-wise merit cut-off (the marks candidates needed to make the select list, as distinct from the minimum qualifying marks). Anyone quoting a specific cut-off number for 2023 or projecting one for 2026 without citing the official OSSSC select-list PDF is offering an estimated/unofficial figure, and should be treated as such.
read more; HSSC Group C Recruitment 2026 Notification
Cut Off 2026
Not released, and won’t be until after the written exam is conducted and OSSSC compiles the master merit list. With 5,989 vacancies spread across 30 districts and a fairly low qualifying bar (30–35%), the realistic merit cut-off for general-category, popular-district seats is likely to sit meaningfully above the qualifying mark once competition is factored in — but that’s a structural observation, not a number, and should not be mistaken for one.
Admit Card and Result — What Actually Happens Next
No exam date has been fixed yet. OSSSC’s own website already has a live “Download Admit Card” utility on its homepage, which works by selecting the post, entering date of birth, and verifying identity through registered mobile number, username, or registration number along with a captcha — this is the same mechanism the Commission uses across its recruitments, so once an exam date for Nursing Officer is fixed, expect the admit card to surface through that identical portal rather than a separate link. Keep your registered mobile number and email active and unchanged through the entire process; OSSSC explicitly warns that changing them midway can disrupt your ability to retrieve the admit card or result later.
How to Apply
- Visit the official website, www.osssc.gov.in.
- New users click “Apply Online” to complete fresh registration; candidates already registered for any earlier OSSSC post must log in and choose “Re-registration” under the Applicant Menu.
- Complete registration with accurate personal, educational, and contact details (registration is Step 1, not the final step).
- Log in again and proceed to fill the actual application form, selecting up to three district preferences in order.
- Upload the required scanned documents and pay the examination fee online (waived for SC/ST/PwD).
- Review every entered detail carefully — category and core details typically cannot be changed after final submission.
- Submit the form before 13 July 2026 and save the confirmation/printout.
- Retain your User ID, password, and registration number; you’ll need them again for the admit card and result.
Required Documents for Apply
- HSC/10+2 pass certificate
- GNM or B.Sc. Nursing certificate and mark sheets
- Odisha Nursing Council (or recognised State Nursing Council) Registration/Renewal Certificate, valid as on date of application submission
- Odia language proficiency proof (Class 7+/Middle School certificate with Odia, or equivalent)
- Caste certificate (SC/ST/SEBC), where applicable
- UDID card or Disability Certificate, for PwD candidates
- Discharge Certificate/Identity Card and service documents, for Ex-Servicemen
- Contractual appointment letters (self-attested), for contractual Nursing Officers claiming age relaxation
- Sports ID card, for candidates claiming the Sportsperson category
Job Profile
As a Nursing Officer under Odisha’s Health & Family Welfare Department, responsibilities include direct patient care in government health facilities (hospitals, CHCs, PHCs), maternal and child health services, immunisation and outreach work, maintaining patient records, and supporting broader public-health programmes — with the possibility of a CHO designation adding preventive and community-health duties depending on posting.
A Few Things Candidates Commonly Get Wrong
Treating the registration deadline as the final deadline is the single most common mistake in this kind of two-step OSSSC process. Registering by 6 July without completing the actual application submission by 13 July leaves you with nothing on file — the system does not auto-submit a completed registration for you.
The Odia-language eligibility condition is the second recurring gap, particularly among GNM/B.Sc Nursing graduates who studied or work outside Odisha but hold a valid Odisha Nursing Council registration through reciprocal arrangements. Holding the nursing registration does not substitute for the separate Odia-language proof required in the notification.
Finally, since this recruitment involves an online fee payment, stick to osssc.gov.in directly rather than a third-party “apply now” button embedded on a job-alert page — go to the Commission’s site yourself and locate the advertisement through its own Recruitment/Advertisements section.
| important links | |
| Apply Online | click here |
| full notification | click here |
| Download short notification | click here |
| Official Website | click here |
FAQs
Q1. I registered on the OSSSC portal before 6 July but haven’t submitted the final application yet — is my candidature secure?
No. Registration and final application submission are two separate, mandatory steps. An application that is registered but not formally submitted by 13 July 2026 is incomplete and will not be considered.
Q2. I have a B.Sc Nursing degree and Odisha Nursing Council registration but studied outside Odisha — am I exempt from the Odia language requirement?
No exemption for this reason is mentioned in the reviewed notification details. The Odia-language condition (Class 7+/Middle School pass with Odia, or ability to speak/read/write Odia) is listed as a standalone eligibility requirement, separate from your nursing qualification or council registration.
Q3. Is the age limit 21–38 or 21–42 for this recruitment?
Reports conflict. The more detailed sources, which also specify exact relaxation slabs (47 for SC/ST/SEBC/Women, 52 for PwD, 45 for contractual Nursing Officers/ASHAs), state 21–42 as on the date of advertisement (12 June 2026). Less detailed reports cite 21–38. Verify your own eligibility against the official advertisement PDF rather than relying on either figure secondhand.
Q4. My Odisha Nursing Council registration is up for renewal in July — will that affect my eligibility?
The notification specifies the registration must be valid as on the date of submission of the online application, not the date of advertisement. If your renewal will be completed before you actually submit your form, you should still meet this condition — but confirm this reading against the PDF given how strictly nursing-registration validity is checked at document verification.
Q5. How many vacancies were there in OSSSC’s last Nursing Officer recruitment, and does that tell me anything about 2026 cut-offs?
The 2023 cycle had 6,432 vacancies with the same 30%/35% qualifying-marks structure used in 2026, but the actual category-wise merit cut-off scores from that cycle are not available in any source reviewed for this article — only the qualifying threshold is documented. Treat any specific 2023 cut-off number you see elsewhere as unverified unless it links to OSSSC’s own select-list PDF.
Disclaimer: Advertisement numbers, vacancy count (5,989), application dates, fee structure, exam pattern (100 marks/2 hours/0.25 negative marking), and minimum qualifying marks are drawn from the official OSSSC notification as reported across multiple recruitment sources and the Commission’s own website, and are treated as confirmed. The age-limit range and detailed category/district-wise vacancy breakup carry conflicting or incomplete reporting and are flagged as such above. For the authoritative version of every detail, check the official notification at: https://osssc.gov.in
