Bhubaneswar: Govt job aspirants have sought reforms in the state’s recruitment system, demanding greater transparency, uniform examination procedures, timely recruitment and restoration of the waiting-list system.Addressing the media here on Tuesday, they urged the govt to direct all recruitment agencies, including OPSC, OSSC, OSSSC and SSB, to conduct examinations through the offline/OMR mode wherever feasible.The demands assume significance in the light of recent protests demanding greater transparency in the govt recruitment process in neighbouring Bihar and Jharkhand.During Tuesday’s news conference, a proposal was also floated for a ‘one day-one shift-one question paper for all’ system to address concerns over varying difficulty levels in examinations conducted over multiple days.Another major demand was the restoration of the waiting-list system, which the aspirants claimed was discontinued in 2020.“Candidates narrowly missing out on the merit list could lose opportunities when vacancies arise later. A transparent waiting-list mechanism can help fill such vacancies from among candidates who have already undergone the selection process, reducing the need for fresh recruitment for every subsequent vacancy,” said Sunil Mishra, an aspirant.A senior general administration department official, requesting anonymity, said, “All govt recruitment agencies conduct examinations for different posts and for different cadres. At present, only OPSC follows the one day-one shift system. It is not practical to expect a single examination format or question paper to suit all recruitment processes. Similarly, the waiting-list system was discontinued as part of efforts to eliminate scope for malpractice and corruption in recruitment.”The aspirants further demanded a regular recruitment calendar covering agencies such as OPSC, OSSC, OSSSC, Odisha University of Health Sciences Staff Selection Commission (OUSSSC) and SSB. Recruitment advertisements, they said, should preferably mention tentative timelines for applications, examinations, publication of results, final selection, document verification and joining.Asked about the recruitment calendar, the official added, “Departments report vacancies at different points of time based on the vacancies that arise and their respective requirements. Therefore, it is not feasible to bring all recruitments under a single, uniform calendar.”