Odisha rejects MP OBC certificates, bars 12 from KVS-NVS interview

Twelve OBC candidates from Madhya Pradesh were barred from the interview stage of a joint teacher recruitment drive by the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti in Odisha on 29 October, despite passing both Tier-1 and Tier-2 written exams. The selection committee in Bhubaneswar rejected their caste certificates during document verification because the documents carried a reference number from an older state-issued permanent caste certificate.

The candidates argued that Madhya Pradesh issues a permanent caste certificate only once in a lifetime and that the revenue department necessarily cites that reference when issuing a certificate in the central government format. They pointed out that the recruitment notification imposed no restriction on reference numbers. Officials countered that a central-format certificate must be an independent document and that referencing an old state certificate does not prove the issuing officer independently assessed the current non-creamy-layer status. Twelve candidates have submitted a joint memorandum to the KVS-NVS Commissioner in Delhi seeking re-inclusion and an interview opportunity.