In a surprising turn of events, no candidates have passed the written examination for the Odisha higher judicial services, leaving 45 district judge positions unfilled across the state. The exams, conducted on January 5, 2025, were aimed at recruiting judges from within the judiciary and from practicing lawyers, but ended with no successful candidates.
The Orissa High Court, in two notifications dated February 17, disclosed that none of the 83 judicial officers, who currently serve in various capacities such as senior civil judges and chief judicial magistrates, succeeded in the exam. Even an Additional Registrar from the Supreme Court, who was on deputation and appeared for the exam, failed to qualify.
Simultaneously, the legal fraternity also faced disappointment. Out of 283 lawyers who sat for the examination to fill 31 of the advertised positions, none were able to meet the qualifying standards of the test. Notably, a significant number of lawyer candidates were absent on the exam day.
This outcome is particularly concerning given the backdrop of an escalating backlog of cases. As of January 31, more than 1.9 million cases are pending in Odisha’s district courts, which operate under the capacity with only 840 judicial officers in place against a sanctioned strength of 1,041.
