Orissa High Court Junior Stenographer Recruitment 2026 — 33 Group-C Posts

The High Court of Orissa, Cuttack is recruiting 33 Junior Stenographers (Group-C) under Advertisement 06/2026, signed 11 November 2026 and listed in the Court's Recruitment Corner on 12 November 2026. Online applications are accepted from 13 November 2026 at 10:00 a.m. until 7 December 2026 at 11:59 p.m. The notified Level-7 pay scale is ₹25,500–₹81,100, plus applicable allowances. This recruitment has an unusual but consequential selection formula: the first two examinations determine whether a candidate may proceed, while only marks in the final shorthand-and-typewriting test determine merit.

Important dates and recruitment identity

The Court also advertised 31 Junior Grade Typist/Data Entry Operator posts in Advertisement 07/2026. That is not this recruitment: the qualification evidence, test stages, pay level and number of posts are different. Applicants must select 06/2026 on the portal, not the neighbouring 07/2026 option.

33 posts: the reservation numbers that matter

The Court has split 33 seats among UR 11, SEBC 1, ST 12 and SC 9. The women-earmarked positions within those categories are UR 4, ST 4 and SC 3—11 positions already included in the 33. The notice also specifies 2 PwBD and 2 ex-serviceman reservations across categories; these are not another four posts.

📊 Seats by notified category

📊 Share of the 33 announced seats

How to read this: A woman applying against a women's reserved seat must still meet the category and certificate rules. If a women's seat is not filled, the notice permits filling it with an eligible male applicant from the same category. It does not permit exchange of SC and ST reservation. The advertised seat counts are subject to change at the Court's discretion.

Who meets the essential qualification?

An applicant needs all three, not just a graduation certificate:

1. A Bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university.
2. Ability to take English shorthand at at least 80 WPM and to type at at least 40 WPM, supported by a certificate from a recognised institute.
3. Adequate computer application knowledge, supported by a certificate. The notice does not name PGDCA as a compulsory qualification for Junior Stenographer 06/2026; do not import the PGDCA requirement from the separate Typist/DEO 07/2026 advertisement.

No independent minimum number of years of stenographer employment or work experience is imposed by Advertisement 06/2026. Even so, shorthand and typewriting speeds are mandatory rather than merely desirable. Applicants should inspect the exact wording on their speed certificate before applying.

Age limit and the Court's stated DOB window

Eligibility is measured on 12 November 2026. The notice specifies age above 21 years and not exceeding 42, and explicitly gives the permissible general DOB interval 12 November 1984 to 11 November 2005, subject to reservation relaxation. Follow that exact DOB window rather than inferring eligibility from a rounded age calculator.

The advertisement also states that an applicant falling under more than one relaxation category receives the most beneficial applicable concession. As the same age paragraph separately expressly provides a 15-year PwBD-plus-SC/ST/SEBC case, candidates relying on overlapping relief should follow the precise category provisions and supporting documents in the official notice.

Three recruitment tests — and why speed matters more than the first two scores

The Court has notified (A) Qualifying English Test, (B) Qualifying Computer Application Test, then (C) Shorthand and Typewriting Skill Test. It has not announced a preliminary MCQ exam for this 06/2026 recruitment. Marks in English and Computer decide progression; only Skill Test marks create the final merit list.

📊 Marks allocated to the three notified tests

Stage A: English Subject Test — 100 marks, 90 minutes

The written paper is language-oriented, not an objective GK or mathematics paper. Its four parts are:

Under the printed rule, a general category candidate scoring below 35% fails this stage; for SC and ST, the stated lower threshold is 30%. The notice does not separately print an SEBC cut-off, so an SEBC candidate should not assume the SC/ST threshold applies automatically. Those who clear the English test may take the computer test.

Preparation implication: English fluency without working Odia translation ability leaves 40 out of 100 marks exposed. The 40-mark grammar component is the biggest single subdivision; writing one strong essay is not enough on its own.

Stage B: Computer Application Test — 100 marks, 60 minutes

The specifically named areas are MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), MS Access, internet operation, and file uploading/downloading. Applicants require at least 50% overall to progress to the shorthand-and-typewriting stage. The notice does not provide a separate minimum for the theory half and practical half; no such additional rule should be assumed.

Stage C: 400-word English shorthand and transcription — 100 marks

The Court gives an English dictation of 400 words at 80 WPM for five minutes. Candidates then get 10 minutes to transcribe the passage on a computer at the notified 40-WPM requirement. Every correct word attracts 0.25 mark, making the maximum 100 marks. Mistakes or omissions exceeding 10% of the 400-word passage disqualify; this is an accuracy ceiling, not merely a small score penalty.

Wrong spelling, substitution, overlapping words and incorrect punctuation are among the stated mistake types. Do not confuse the scoring description with an invented rule of “minus 0.25 for every mistake”: the official wording gives points per correct word and a separate disqualification condition for too many mistakes or omissions.

The final all-candidate and category-wise merit lists are prepared in descending order of Skill Test marks. The notification does not specify a tie-break formula; none should be inferred. No examination, answer key, admit-card release, result or interview dates are declared in this advertisement.

How to apply — select the correct court recruitment

1. Open the official Recruitment Corner, follow Examination Portal, and select Junior Stenographer 2026 — Advertisement 06/2026. The Court-linked candidate portal currently shows this choice alongside Advertisement 07/2026.
2. Review the Court's Instructions to Candidates and the entire 10-page advertisement before entering identity details.
3. Enter name and DOB exactly as recorded in the High School/10th Board certificate. A changed surname/name must be backed by the required Gazette and newspaper documentation.
4. Upload the degree, computer-knowledge proof, 80-WPM shorthand/40-WPM typewriting certificate, character certificate(s), photo, visible full signature, Aadhaar, and applicable reservation/relaxation documents.
5. Pay the examination fee online through Debit Card, Credit Card, UPI or Net Banking unless eligible for the specifically notified SC/ST/PwBD exemption. The ₹500 fee is non-refundable and non-adjustable.
6. Submit before 11:59 p.m. on 7 December 2026, save the confirmation and print the submitted form for later verification. If more than one application is submitted, the Court considers the latest with the higher acknowledgement number.

Certificate rules that can lead to rejection

• SEBC is not interchangeable with central OBC: the advertisement expressly rejects an OBC certificate in lieu of an Odisha SEBC certificate. The SEBC-NCL certificate must not be more than three years old at submission.
• For women claiming SC/ST/SEBC reservation, the certificate must establish caste by birth; the Court expressly says a certificate based only on marriage is not acceptable for this purpose.
• A character certificate may come from the last-attended educational institution or from two reputable persons, one of whom must be a Gazetted Officer. Certificates from two persons must be issued within three months of online submission.
• The High School/10th certificate is the controlling DOB and name evidence; changes need the notified Gazette/newspaper proof. Government employees must inform their Heads of Office and provide NOC when instructed.
• Candidates must produce originals and self-attested copies at document verification. The Court will not send admit cards by post; examination venues, dates and electronic admission letters will be announced online.

Fee, salary and what this appointment is not

The salary range is a pay-matrix scale, not guaranteed monthly take-home pay. The official notice does not give in-hand salary, a fixed DA total, training duration, bond or probation details; avoid treating figures reported elsewhere as confirmed terms of this recruitment.

Dates still to be announced

The Court will post the English Test date, Computer Test date, Skill Test date, venues and e-admit cards on its website. No such dates appear in Advertisement 06/2026. Candidates must monitor the official portal rather than rely on assumed exam calendars. Final score, result, select-list and document-verification announcements must also be tracked only when officially issued.

Official sources

• High Court of Orissa Advertisement 06/2026 — original ten-page PDF
• High Court recruitment notices
• Court Examination Portal — 06/2026 Junior Stenographer

Candidate takeaway: You need a recognised degree plus proof of both 80-WPM shorthand and 40-WPM typing. Clear the 100-mark English and 100-mark computer qualifying gates, but prepare to win the recruitment on accurate transcription of a dictated 400-word English passage. Check the special Odisha SEBC certificate rules before submitting the form.