The office of Odisha Public Service Commission in Cuttack. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, June 24: The Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) will soon introduce an online application system to select candidates for various government jobs.

This move is likely to improve the commission’s efficiency and ensure convenience of candidates interested for government jobs. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and many other state public commissions, including that of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, already have an online application system in place.

Though the proposal was still in the under-consideration stage, the e-application system was likely to be introduced before the notification for the emerging vacancies for the post of assistant section officer in the state secretariat, official sources said.

At present, a candidate has to purchase an application form and submit it, along with bank draft or treasury challan, at the counter of the OPSC office in Cuttack, making the entire procedure a time consuming affair.

The online process will make the system hassle free as a candidate can get prompt confirmation of his or her application.

OPSC officials said efforts had also been made to ensure that candidates do not face any problems while filling up their e-application forms. Around 2,500 common service centres in 314 blocks of the state with Internet connection have already been set up.

“We would no longer need to go to OPSC office to purchase and submit the forms which would mean saving a lot of time and energy,” said Raghunath Dalei, an aspirant. Moreover, the commission has decided to implement negative marking for the multiple-choice questions and will also announce the model correct answers on its website to invite suggestions and feedback.

Based on the feedback, a team of experts will examine and decide the final answer, which will facilitate further evaluation.

This will bring about more transparency in evaluation, especially for exams, which have multiple-choice questions.

After the declaration of results, the OPSC will also announce the marks secured by the candidates in written tests and marks secured by them throughout their academic career, which will help them assess their performance and position in the concerned recruitment exam.