The School & Mass Education (S&ME) Department, Government of Odisha has released the official requisition details for the highly anticipated direct recruitment of 25 Odisha Education Service (School Branch) Group-B Officers.
While thousands of post-graduates are preparing for this prestigious administrative exam conducted by the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC), understanding exactly how these 25 seats are distributed among different categories is crucial for analyzing your competition.
The category-wise reservation matrix has been officially verified and concurred by the ST & SC Development, M&BC Welfare Department in compliance with the prevailing Post-Based Reservation Principles of the ORV Act.
(To ensure your preparation aligns with the latest changes, read our master guide on the OPSC OES New Exam Pattern & Revised 675-Mark Scheme 2026 and verify your academic eligibility in our OPSC OES Eligibility Criteria & OS-CIT Rules Guide).
In this article, we break down the exact sanctioned cadre strength of OES officers, the current number of working officers, and the final category-wise split (UR, SEBC, SC, ST) for the 25 new vacancies.
OPSC OES Vacancy 2026: Key Overview
| Feature Parameter | Official Details |
| Department | School & Mass Education Department, Odisha |
| Recruitment Agency | Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) |
| Name of the Post | Odisha Education Officer (Group-B) |
| Total Vacancies to Fill | 25 Posts |
| Reservation Verification Body | ST & SC Development, M&BC Welfare Dept. |
| Reservation Policy | ORV Act (50% limitation cap applied) |
Odisha Education Officer Cadre Strength Analysis
Before looking at the final 25 vacancies, it is helpful to understand the overall size of the OES (School Branch) administrative framework in Odisha.
According to Annexure-‘A’ of the official government notification (Verification of Post-Based Reservation Principle), the total size of the cadre is as follows:
- Total Sanctioned Cadre Strength: 169 Posts
- Officers Currently in Position (Working): 144 Officers
- Total Vacant Posts: 25 Posts
Because 144 out of 169 positions are already filled, the government has requested OPSC to conduct direct recruitment exclusively for the remaining 25 vacant posts.
Category-Wise Reservation Rules (ORV Act)
To ensure constitutional fairness, the allocation of these 25 seats strictly follows the Odisha Reservation of Vacancies (ORV) Act and respects the 50% limitation on total reservations imposed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.
The prescribed percentage limits for Odisha state recruitment are:
- Scheduled Tribe (ST): 22.50%
- Scheduled Caste (SC): 16.25%
- Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC): 11.25%
- Unreserved (UR / General): 50.00%
(To score high enough to clear your respective category cut-off, download our OES Previous Year Questions PDF & Detailed Topic Analysis).
OPSC OES Vacancy 2026: Final Category-Wise Breakdown
Applying the ORV percentages to the total cadre strength of 169, and subtracting the officers already in position, the ST & SC Development Department has finalized the following exact distribution for the 25 vacancies to be filled (which includes backlog vacancies):
OES 25 Vacancy Distribution Matrix
| Category | Vacancies | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Unreserved (UR) | 07 Posts | 50.00% |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 10 Posts | 22.50% |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 04 Posts | 16.25% |
| SEBC | 04 Posts | 11.25% |
Deep-Dive Matrix (Cadre vs Working vs Vacant)
For candidates interested in the exact administrative calculation, here is how the government derived the 25 seats:
| Category | Prescribed % | Calculated Strength | Actual Persons in Position | Final Vacant Posts to be Filled |
| ST | 22.50% | 38 Posts | 28 Officers | 10 Posts |
| SC | 16.25% | 27 Posts | 23 Officers | 04 Posts |
| SEBC | 11.25% | 19 Posts | 15 Officers | 04 Posts |
| UR (General) | 50.00% | 85 Posts | 78 Officers | 07 Posts |
| TOTAL | 100% | 169 Posts | 144 Officers | 25 Posts |
📌 Important Note for ST Candidates: The relatively high number of ST vacancies (10 out of 25) is due to the inclusion of backlog vacancies from previous recruitment cycles that remained unfilled.
DOWNLOAD THE DETAIL OPSE OES 2026 NOTIFICATION PDF- CLICK HERE
How to Strategize Your Preparation Based on Vacancies
With only 07 Unreserved (UR) and 04 SEBC seats available, the competition for general category candidates will be exceptionally high.
- Maximize Paper-I Objective Score: Because Paper-II is subjective, scoring margins can be narrow. Maximize your marks in the OPSC OES Paper-I Objective MCQ Paper (General Awareness, English, Odia) to build a solid lead.
- Master Descriptive Writing: Read our complete OPSC OES Paper-II Subjective Education Blueprint to learn how to structure PG-standard answers in Philosophy and Educational Psychology.
- Read Standard Books: Check our curated Book List for OES Exam Preparation to ensure you are referencing the right material.
(Looking for a quiet place to focus on your studies? Find a dedicated space using our guide to the Best Free Libraries and Reading Rooms in Bhubaneswar).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How many Unreserved (UR) seats are available in the OPSC OES Recruitment 2026?
Out of the 25 total vacancies, there are 07 seats reserved for the Unreserved (General) category.
Why are there 10 vacancies for the ST category?
The ST category has 10 vacancies because it includes backlog vacancies (previously unfilled seats) along with the standard 22.50% reservation quota under the ORV Act.
What is the total cadre strength of the Odisha Education Service (School Branch)?
The total sanctioned cadre strength is 169 posts, out of which 144 officers are currently in position.
Will the number of vacancies increase?
Currently, the exact requisition sent to OPSC and verified by the ST & SC Development Department is strictly for 25 posts.
