Orissa HC blacklists private agency from exam conducting process

After cancelling the main written exam for the posts of its assistant section officer (ASO) and conducting it afresh, the Orissa High Court has blacklisted a private agency, debarring it from participating in bidding for conducting of examination of High Court or Courts in its jurisdiction.

Silicon Texhlab Private Limited was authorised to conduct the main written examination as well as the computer application test for recruitment to the posts of assistant section officer, 2024. It has been blacklisted to participate in such affairs of this Court and all the Courts within its jurisdiction for a period of five years.

Advertisement

During the period, the agency is debarred from participating or bidding either directly in the name of the proprietary bidder or indirectly under a different name or title for any work to be undertaken by this Court and all Courts within its jurisdiction, a notice issued by the High Court Registrar (judicial) on Tuesday said.

It conducted the main written examination on 13 July 2025, and after submission of the evaluated answer sheets to the court, it was seen that the agency had not conducted the main written examination fairly by maintaining confidentiality, as such compromising the sanctity of the entire process.

Silicon Texhlab Private Limited has also come under the scanner for allegedly perpetrating malpractice in the police sub-inspector post recruitment. The police SI recruitment irregularities are currently being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The government-run Odisha Police Recruitment Board (OPRB) had awarded the conducting of the exam to ITI Limited, a central PSU, which later subcontracted the exam conduct process to Bhubaneswar-based Silicon Techlab.