Bhubaneswar: The state govt on Tuesday notified the Odisha Civil Services (Rehabilitation Assistance) Rules, 2026 by replacing the existing 2020 rules, providing a new framework that eases compassionate appointments and does away with the earlier 100-point evaluation system.Under the new rules, one eligible family member of a govt servant, who dies while in service, can be considered for compassionate appointment against a base-level Group-D post. The appointment will be made without following the regular recruitment procedure, subject to fulfilment of the prescribed eligibility conditions.The rules make an exception for the widow of a deceased govt servant. She will not be required to meet the prescribed educational qualification if the appointing authority is satisfied that she can perform the duties attached to the post without possessing the required qualification.It further states that the spouse of the deceased govt servant will ordinarily be considered for appointment but if the spouse is above 50 years on the date of death of his/her partner and is unwilling to accept the job, or is declared medically unfit by a medical board, he or she can nominate another eligible family member.If the spouse is not alive, the surviving family members can nominate one eligible member for appointment.Apart from sons, step-sons and sons legally adopted, the rules make daughters and step-daughters eligible irrespective of their marital status, provided their dependency on their parents is established. Widowed daughters and daughters-in-law permanently residing with the deceased employee’s family have also been included among eligible family members.However, compassionate appointments will not be available if the spouse of the deceased employee is serving under the central or state govt, a public sector undertaking, statutory body, autonomous organisation or any other govt-controlled institution.A special provision has been made for minors. Where the spouse is above 50 and unwilling to accept appointment, or is medically unfit, a child who is 16 years or older can apply after attaining 18 years.Importantly, all applications pending under the 2020 rules on the date the new rules come into force will be reconsidered under the 2026 rules. Applications rejected solely because of ineligibility under the earlier 100-point evaluation system will also be reconsidered. The previous evaluation system required a family member to score 60 out of 100 evaluation points to become eligible for the compassionate appointment.
