Clarification on OCS (RA) Rules 1990 | GA & PG Department, Odisha

 ODISHA GOVT ISSUES CRITICAL CLARIFICATIONS ON COMPASSIONATE APPOINTMENTS UNDER 1990 REHABILITATION RULES

BHUBANESWAR — The Government of Odisha’s General Administration & Public Grievance Department has issued key clarifications regarding the Odisha Civil Services (Rehabilitation Assistance) Rules, 1990. Signed by Principal Secretary Suresh Kumar Vashishth on September 30, 2026, the circular aims to clear ambiguities, address ongoing grievance petitions, and streamline the processing of long-pending compassionate appointment cases across state departments.

Key Directives and Clarifications

• Applicability Tied to Date of Death: Aligning with rulings from the Supreme Court of India and the High Court of Odisha, the OCS (RA) Rules, 1990 apply to cases where the deceased government servant died between September 24, 1990, and February 16, 2020. The 2025 Amendment Rules formalize this approach for handling historical applications.
• Age Limits and Relaxations: Standard age guidelines apply for employment under the scheme. For a minor child who was the sole eligible family member at the time of death, job applications can be submitted upon turning 18, but no later than three years after reaching adulthood. The competent authority retains power to relax maximum age limits in exceptional scenarios.
• Marital Status at Application Time: Eligibility is determined strictly based on information at the time of application submission. If a deceased employee's daughter was unmarried at submission and qualified as family under the 1990 Rules, any subsequent marriage will not render her ineligible.
• Covered Employee Categories: The 1990 Rules extend compassionate appointment benefits to family members of:
  • Teaching and non-teaching staff under GIA Orders-1994 in Aided Educational Institutions (School & Mass Education / Higher Education Departments).
  • State Government Work-Charged Employees.
  • Employees of State Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).

Strict 3-Month Deadline Imposed

All heads of departments, Collectors, and Regional Development Commissioners (RDCs) have been instructed to resolve these old pending cases within three months. Progress and disposal statuses must be uploaded to a dedicated digital portal currently being developed by the Center for Modernizing Government Initiative (CMGI).

Download the Official Clarification