Orissa High Court District Judge Recruitment 2026 – Apply Online for 38 Posts

The High Court of Orissa, Cuttack is filling 38 posts in the cadre of District Judge by direct recruitment under Advertisement No. 03 of 2026, in the pay scale of ₹ 1,44,840 – ₹ 1,94,660 with usual D.A. and other allowances. Law graduates who are advocates with not less than seven years of continuous practice, or who have the combined advocate and judicial officer experience the notice allows, and who are not below 35 and not above 45 years of age as on the date of application, can apply online at www.orissahighcourt.nic.in from 10:00 A.M. of 9 November 2026 till 11:59 P.M. of 25 November 2026.

Orissa High Court District Judge at a Glance

About the High Court of Orissa Recruitment

The High Court of Orissa at Cuttack conducts this direct recruitment to the cadre of District Judge for the year 2026. The recruitment is held under the Orissa Superior Judicial Service and Orissa Judicial Service Rules, 2007 (O.S.J.S. and O.J.S. Rules, 2007) and their later amendments, and the advertisement is issued by the Registrar, Examination.

Vacancy Details

The advertisement notifies 38 (Thirty eight) vacancies, divided by category as below.

• Out of the 38 posts, 03 posts will be filled by horizontal reservation for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities having physical disability as specified in the Schedule to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (49 of 2016), excluding cerebral palsy.
• If eligible women candidates of a category are not available or are insufficient, the remaining vacancies will be filled by eligible male candidates of that category.
• If candidates of the S.C., S.T. and S.E.B.C. (Non-Creamy Layer) categories are not available or are insufficient, the vacancy will be filled by eligible candidates of the unreserved category.
• The number of vacancies is subject to change at the discretion of the Court, and the Court reserves the right to cancel the entire recruitment process or any part of it at any stage.

Who Can Apply

Educational Qualification

The candidate must be a graduate in Law from a recognized University or an Institution recognized by the Government.

Experience

The candidate must meet one of these four conditions:

• be an advocate in continuous practice for not less than seven years as on the date of application; or
• be an advocate who has previously served in the judicial service and possesses a combined experience of not less than seven years as judicial officer and as an advocate, as on the date of application; or
• be a Judicial Officer who has completed seven years of continuous practice as an advocate before joining the judicial service; or
• be a Judicial Officer who possesses a combined experience of not less than seven years as an advocate and as a judicial officer, as on the date of application.

Years of practice are counted from the date of provisional enrolment or registration with the concerned State Bar Council. Public Prosecutors may apply if they have the required qualification, experience and age; they must inform their Heads of Offices in writing and obtain a No Objection Certificate from their controlling authority.

Language

The candidate must be able to speak, read and write Odia fluently and must have passed an examination in Odia Language equivalent to Middle English School standard.

Age Limit

The candidate must not be below 35 years of age and not above 45 years of age as on the date of application.

Age Relaxation

A candidate who comes under more than one category gets only one age relaxation, the one most beneficial to him or her.

Disqualification for Appointment

• A person who is not a citizen of India.
• A person dismissed from service by any High Court, Government or Statutory or Local Authority.
• A person convicted of an offence involving moral turpitude, or permanently debarred or disqualified by any High Court, the Union Public Service Commission or any State Public Service Commission from its examinations or selections.
• A person who directly or indirectly influences the recruiting authority for his or her candidature.
• A married candidate with more than one spouse living, unless the Government exempts the person on the grounds stated in the notice.
• A person who cannot speak, read and write Odia, or has not passed a test in Odia equivalent to Middle School Standard.

Candidates should check the full eligibility conditions in the official notification before applying.

Pay and Tenure

The scale of pay is ₹ 1,44,840 – ₹ 1,94,660 with usual D.A. and other allowances as admissible from time to time. Every candidate recruited as District Judge by direct recruitment will undergo a course of training under Rule-30-A and will be on probation as per Rule-33 of the O.S.J.S & O.J.S Rules 2007. The selected candidates must be physically fit and must appear before the State Medical Board before final appointment.

How to Apply for Orissa High Court District Judge

1. Go through this advertisement and the “Instructions to Candidates for Filling up of Online Application Form” on the Court’s website.
2. Log in to www.orissahighcourt.nic.in and open Recruitment Corner → Examination Portal → Direct Recruitment to the Posts in the Cadre of District Judge, 2026.
3. Fill the online form, choosing the correct category; enter the name exactly as in the High School Certificate, or the changed name if it has been changed.
4. Upload clear and legible scanned copies of the documents listed below.
5. Pay the fee online, unless exempted.
6. Submit between 10:00 A.M. of 9 November 2026 and 11:59 P.M. of 25 November 2026. Applications sent in any other mode will be rejected.

Application Fee

The fee is non-refundable and non-adjustable and is paid online by Net Banking, Debit card, Credit card or UPI.

Documents to Upload

• Aadhaar card.
• Matriculation/High School Certificate Examination or equivalent certificate for name and date of birth.
• Certificate from the competent authority showing passing of Odia of Middle School Standard.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Law.
• Certificate of legal practice (Annexure-I) showing years of practice at the Bar, wherever applicable.
• Certificate of Judicial Service (Annexure-II) showing years served as a Judicial Officer, wherever applicable; applicants with both Bar practice and judicial service submit both annexures.
• Public Prosecutors: appointment letter containing the date of joining, or the appointment letter with the notification containing the date of joining.
• Recent passport size colour photograph and full signature (signature on white background), both clearly visible with proper orientation.
• Category certificate from the Competent Authority for S.C./S.T./S.E.B.C. (Non-Creamy Layer); disability or medical certificate from the Competent Medical Board or Authority for PwBD.
• Gazette notification for change of name/surname and No Objection Certificate/Standing Order of NOC or undertaking for government servants, wherever applicable.

Certificate Rules

• The certificate of legal practice must be certified by the Principal Judicial Officer of a Court, or by an advocate of that Court with at least 10 years’ standing endorsed by the Principal Judicial Officer of the district or station.
• Advocates practising before the High Courts or Supreme Court need a certificate from an advocate with 10 years’ standing, endorsed by the Registrar (Judicial) of this Court or the equivalent officer of the other High Court or Supreme Court.
• Judicial officers obtain their experience certificate from the Registrar (Administration) of the High Court of Orissa, or the equivalent officer of other High Courts.
• The S.E.B.C. (Non-Creamy Layer) certificate must not be more than 3 years old by the last date of online application; an O.B.C. certificate will not be accepted in place of it.
• Women of S.C./S.T./S.E.B.C. (Non-Creamy Layer) must submit caste certificates by birth (“Daughter of”); a certificate by virtue of marriage (“Wife of”) is not acceptable.
• A name change after the High School examination needs a copy of the newspaper publication and the Odisha Gazette notification; unsupported name discrepancies lead to rejection.

Selection and Interview

Selection has two parts: a Written Examination and an Interview, held under the O.S.J.S. and O.J.S. Rules, 2007.

Written Examination

Paper-1 group (3), 40 marks, covers the Transfer of Property Act, the Specific Relief Act, the Limitation Act, the Law of Contract, the Odisha Consolidation of Holding and Prevention of Fragmentation of Land Act, the Odisha Estate Abolition Act, the Odisha Land Reforms Act, the Law relating to Motor Accident and Claims, the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 and the Commercial Courts Act, 2015.

Paper-2 group (4), 10 marks, covers the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Act, the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006, the Prevention of Corruption Act, the Essential Commodities Act, the Environment Protection Act, the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, the POCSO Act, 2012 and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

Paper-3 (General English) has translation from Odia to English, ten lines (10 marks); re-translation from English to Odia, ten lines (10); a short essay of about 150 words (30); précis writing of 300 words (30); and one passage of maximum 500 words with 5 questions (20). Candidates must secure a minimum of 45% in Paper-3.

Interview

• The interview carries 30 marks.
• Candidates are called in the proportion of 1:10, provided they get at least 45% in each of the written papers and 50% in aggregate.
• Candidates with benchmark disabilities are called in the proportion of 1:10 with at least 40% in each paper and 45% in aggregate.
• Document verification is held before the interview; candidates must bring original certificates, Aadhaar Card, photograph (same as uploaded), a self-attested copy of the online application and self-attested copies of the uploaded certificates, failing which they will be debarred from the interview.

Merit List

The final merit list is prepared on the marks of Paper-1, Paper-2 and the Interview. A candidate is not included unless he or she secures at least 40% in the interview.

Important Dates

Important Instructions

• Incomplete or incorrect online applications will be summarily rejected.
• If a candidate submits more than one application, only the latest one with the higher Acknowledgement Number is considered.
• Admission to every stage is provisional; candidature is liable to rejection if eligibility is not met.
• No Admission Letter is sent by post; the dates and the e-Admit Card are published on www.orissahighcourt.nic.in, and the list of eligible applicants on the Court’s website/notice board.
• Missing any stage of the examination or document verification leads to rejection.
• No T.A./D.A. is paid for appearing in the Examination, and canvassing in any form is a disqualification.
• Impersonation, fabricated or tampered documents or false statements may lead to debarment, permanently or for a period, besides criminal prosecution.
• For help with the online application, contact the Recruitment Cell on 9437498780 or [email protected], on working days between 10:30 A.M. and 04:30 P.M., during the application period.

Important Links