Odisha Police Constable Eligibility 2026: Age, Qualification and Physical Standards

Odisha Police Constable eligibility for 2026 is set out in Advertisement No. 01-CRE-2026/OUSSSC, issued by the Odisha Uniformed Services Staff Selection Commission (OUSSSC) on 23 October 2026 for the Combined Uniformed Services (Below Graduate Level) Examination 2026. For Constable (Civil), the core conditions are a +2 pass, an age of 18 to 26 years as on 1 January 2026, the ability to speak, read and write Odia, and the minimum physical standards.

This page explains each condition in plain terms, with post-wise tables for Constable (Civil), Constable OISF, Constable (Communication) and Traffic Constable, the category-wise age relaxation, the Odia language rule, physical measurement and efficiency standards, and the most common reasons candidates are found ineligible. Check every condition before you apply, because eligibility is verified again at document verification and a mismatch ends the candidature even after a good written score.

Table of Contents

Odisha Police Constable Eligibility 2026 at a Glance

Quick self-check before you apply

1. Qualification: Have you passed +2 (or the qualification for each post you plan to select)?

2. Age: Were you within the age limit for that post on 1 January 2026, after your one relaxation?

3. Odia: Can you speak, read and write Odia, and do you hold a document proving one of the prescribed Odia conditions?

4. Category: If you claim SC, ST or SEBC, is your certificate an Odisha certificate from the competent authority?

5. Physical standards: Do you meet the height, weight and (for men) chest standards for your category?

6. Bonus claims: If you hold an NCC certificate or an eligible driving licence, will you claim it in the form?

If the answer to any of the first five is no or unsure, resolve it before you pay the fee.

Educational Qualification

Each post in the advertisement has its own minimum qualification. Candidates must hold the qualification by the date set in the advertisement, so check that your result is declared in time.

Points to note

• Boards outside Odisha: Candidates who passed +2 from a board outside Odisha may need to show that the board is recognised and the qualification is equivalent.

• A pass is the reported condition: No minimum percentage has been reported for Constable (Civil). Confirm this in the advertisement before you apply.

• Applying for several posts: One application covers more than one post, but you must meet the qualification for each post you select.

Age Limit

Age is counted as on 1 January 2026 for all posts. A candidate must have reached the minimum age and must not have crossed the maximum age on that date, before any relaxation.

Your date of birth is taken from your Class 10 certificate. Enter it exactly as printed there, because any mismatch is checked at document verification.

How to check your own age

1. Write down your date of birth from your Class 10 certificate.

2. Work out your completed age in years on 1 January 2026.

3. Compare it with the limit for the post, then add the single relaxation you are entitled to, if any.

If your age falls exactly on a boundary, read the date-of-birth range in the advertisement itself rather than relying on a calculation.

Age Relaxation by Category

Rules that decide relaxation

• One relaxation only: A candidate who belongs to more than one category gets only one relaxation, whichever is more beneficial. For example, an SC woman gets 5 years, not 10.

• Odisha categories only: SC, ST and SEBC relaxation is available only to candidates belonging to those categories of Odisha, with a valid certificate.

• Certificate must be valid: The category certificate must be issued by the competent authority in the format required by the advertisement.

Effective upper age limit by category

The table adds the single applicable relaxation to each post's upper limit. Ex-servicemen are left out because their relaxation depends on length of service.

These are worked out from the reported limits and relaxations, as on 1 January 2026. The minimum age (18 years, or 21 for Traffic Constable) still applies. Use the date-of-birth range printed in the advertisement for the final check.

Odia Language Requirement

Odia is a hard eligibility condition, not just an exam subject. Candidates must be able to speak, read and write Odia. They must also meet one of the Odia qualification conditions listed in the advertisement, for example having passed a school-level examination (such as the Middle School examination) with Odia as a language subject, or an equivalent Odia test recognised by the state.

• Proof is checked: An Odia pass certificate or marksheet showing Odia as a subject is verified at document verification.

• Candidates educated outside Odisha: If you did not study Odia at school, check the alternative conditions in the advertisement carefully before applying.

• It is also tested: Odia is one of the five subject areas in the 100-mark common written exam.

Physical Standards

Physical standards are checked at the PM and PET stage, after the written exam. They are qualifying, so they decide eligibility for selection but add no marks.

Physical Measurement

Physical Efficiency Test

Failing any one event leads to disqualification. Ex-Agniveers are exempt from PET subject to the conditions in the advertisement. Measure your height, weight and chest now, and run a timed 1.6 km trial, so you know your gap well before the physical stage.

Other Conditions

• Medical fitness: Selected candidates are examined by the District Medical Board and must be declared fit.

• Character verification: Appointment is subject to verification of character and antecedents.

• Transgender candidates: Transgender candidates are reported to be eligible to apply for constable posts under the conditions in the advertisement.

• Driving licence (bonus): For eligible posts, a valid LMV or HMV licence with a cleared driving test adds 3 or 5 bonus marks. It is not a condition for Constable (Civil).

• NCC (bonus): NCC A, B or C certificates add 1, 2 or 3 bonus marks if claimed in the application.

Post-wise Differences at a Glance

One application can be considered for several posts, so it helps to see where the rules differ.

A candidate aged 25 with a +2 pass, for example, is within the general limit for Constable (Civil) and Traffic Constable, but is over the general limit for Constable OISF and Constable (Communication) unless a relaxation applies.

Who Is Not Eligible

• Over-age candidates: Anyone above the upper limit after the single applicable relaxation.

• Without the qualifying exam: Candidates who do not hold the required qualification by the date in the advertisement.

• Without Odia proof: Candidates who cannot meet any of the prescribed Odia qualification conditions.

• Persons with disabilities: Constable posts are reported as not open to persons with disabilities because of the physical nature of the job. Confirm in the advertisement.

• Below physical standards: Candidates who do not meet the height, weight or chest standards for their category at the PM stage.

Common reasons applications fail

• Date of birth mismatch: The date in the form differs from the Class 10 certificate.

• Category without a valid certificate: SC, ST or SEBC claimed without an Odisha certificate from the competent authority.

• Missing Odia proof: No certificate or marksheet showing that a prescribed Odia condition is met.

• Bonus not claimed in the form: NCC marks cannot be added later if they were not claimed in the application.

• Wrong post selected: Choosing a post whose qualification or age limit you do not meet.

Application Fee and Documents

The fee is refunded to candidates who appear in the written exam, to the same account used for payment.

These file limits are as reported from the application instructions; follow the portal if it shows different limits.

Documents checklist

Keep originals and self-attested copies ready, since the same documents are checked again at document verification.

Official OUSSSC website: https://ousssc.odisha.gov.in/