What Is This Notice About?

The Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), Regional Office, Bhubaneswar, is inviting applications from eligible practicing Advocates for empanelment to represent ESIC, Odisha Region, before the Hon'ble High Court of Orissa, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), the State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission, and all District-cum-E.I. Courts across Odisha. This is a centralized litigation-management empanelment, not a job recruitment — selected Advocates will be assigned ESIC's legal cases on a case-to-case basis and will be required to conduct them to finality.

Important: Advocates currently on the existing panel of ESIC, RO-Bhubaneswar must also apply afresh — they will cease to be on the panel once the new panel is finalised under this notice.

Courts / Fora Covered (33 Total)

Tenure of Panel

• The panel shall ordinarily be valid for a period of three years, unless discontinued earlier for reasons recorded in writing.
• An Advocate may continue with cases already allotted even beyond three years unless terminated before that period, and may be removed earlier than the stipulated time on immediate notice, without ESIC needing to assign any reason.
• Where fresh empanelment is under process, the existing panel may be continued for a limited period so ongoing litigation isn't affected.

Eligibility Criteria

• Must possess at least a Bachelor's Degree in Law from a recognized University in India.
• Must be enrolled as an Advocate with the Bar Council of India and be in active practice at the bar.
• Minimum 10 years of professional experience for the Hon'ble High Court and Hon'ble CAT, Cuttack Bench.
• Minimum 5 years of professional experience for district-level Courts and other forums (exact requirement may vary by court, as specified in the advertisement).
• Sound professional reputation, good communication skills, and adequate office infrastructure (accessible office/chamber, staff, communication facilities).
• The Director General, ESIC may relax or modify eligibility conditions in appropriate cases, for reasons to be recorded in writing.

Disqualifications

An Advocate may be treated as ineligible for empanelment if:

• Any disciplinary proceeding is pending, or an adverse order has been passed by the Bar Council affecting professional conduct;
• Any criminal case involving moral turpitude is pending, or conviction has been recorded;
• Material facts have been suppressed or false information submitted;
• There is an actual or potential conflict of interest with ESIC;
• Past performance with ESIC has been found unsatisfactory.

Application Format & Who Applies Where

• Fresh applicants (not currently on the ESIC RO-Bhubaneswar panel) apply using the format at Annexure-II.
• Advocates currently on the existing panel of ESIC, Odisha Region must apply afresh using the format at Annexure-III.
• Applications received in any format other than the prescribed one shall be treated as rejected.
• Qualification, experience, schedule of fees, other terms and conditions, and the application format are available at https://www.roodisha.esic.gov.in/ › recruitment.

Annexure-II — Application Form Fields (Fresh Empanelment)

1. Court/Fora for which empanelment is applied
2. Name of Advocate
3. Father's/Husband's Name
4. Date of Birth and Age
5. Address for correspondence
6. Office/Chamber address
7. Mobile number and email ID
8. Bar Council enrolment number and date
9. Advocate-on-Record details, if applicable
10. Educational qualifications
11. Total years of practice and main areas of practice
12. Government/PSU/Statutory Body panels, if any
13. Important cases/judgments handled
14. Details of office infrastructure
15. Whether related to any ESIC employee; if yes, details

The form requires a declaration certifying the information is true and complete, with no relevant fact concealed, and agreement to abide by the empanelment terms — signed with place and date.

Annexure-III — Application Form Fields (Existing Panel Advocates)

1. Name of existing Panel Advocate
2. Court/Fora for which presently empanelled
3. Court/Fora for which fresh empanelment is applied
4. Bar Council enrolment number and date
5. Advocate-on-Record details, if applicable
6. Period of earlier empanelment with ESIC
7. Number of ESIC cases assigned during last two years
8. Number of cases disposed/won/lost/remanded/pending
9. Important ESIC cases handled
10. Whether any adverse remarks/disciplinary proceedings
11. Details of relatives/spouse in ESIC, if any
12. Remarks/special achievements

Same declaration and signature requirement as Annexure-II.

Documents to Be Submitted (Checklist — Annexure-IV)

The following documents are compulsorily required to be submitted with the application:

1. Application form duly filled and signed
2. Copy of Law Degree and other qualifications
3. Copy of valid Bar Council enrolment certificate
4. Copy of Bar Association identity card, if available
5. Copy of Government ID proof and PAN
6. Advocate-on-Record certificate, where applicable
7. Resume/brief profile of experience and areas of practice
8. Copies/list of important judgments/orders handled
9. Copies of empanelment letters from Government/PSU/Statutory Bodies, if any
10. Income Tax Returns for last two financial years, where required
11. Two recent passport-size photographs
12. Undertaking and conflict of interest declaration (Annexure-VI)

Selection Committee & Process

• Applications are considered by a Selection Committee constituted by the Regional Director, which may include a minimum of two external members of eminence from the legal field (preferably Professors from Law Schools).
• The Committee shortlists new applicants based on documents, profile, and performance, and recommends the finalised panel of Advocates.
• Merely fulfilling eligibility criteria does not confer any right to be called for interaction or selected — the decision of ESIC on shortlisting/selection is final.
• Canvassing in any form is treated as disqualification and results in rejection of candidature.
• Interview/interaction date, time, venue, and mode will normally be communicated by email or letter. No TA/DA is admissible for attending such interaction.
• After scrutiny/selection, the complete proposal with the Selection Committee's recommendations is forwarded by the Regional Director through the Insurance Commissioner (Legal) to ESIC Headquarters for approval of the Director General. The final panel is notified only after this approval, and published on the ESIC website.

Selection Criteria & Marks Distribution (Model Scrutiny — Annexure-V)

Selection is assessed on: professional experience before the concerned Court/Tribunal; quality and nature of cases handled; experience in Government/PSU/statutory body litigation; knowledge of service, labour, insurance, recovery, medical, and administrative law relevant to ESIC; integrity, conduct, and professional reputation; availability and responsiveness; office infrastructure and ability to coordinate electronically; interaction/interview performance; and satisfactory past performance with ESIC, where applicable.

Duties of Empanelled Advocates

• Appear on every date of hearing; no ESIC matter should go unattended.
• Not seek unnecessary adjournments, and oppose unjustified adjournments sought by the opposite party wherever appropriate.
• Collect brief/case papers promptly after assignment and coordinate with the concerned ESIC office for drafting, filing, and arguing the matter.
• Submit a brief hearing/status report after every hearing, along with a copy of the order whenever available.
• Keep ESIC informed about important developments, next hearing date, compliance requirements, and litigation risks.
• In cases decided against ESIC, provide a reasoned opinion on the advisability of appeal/review/other remedy within five working days of receipt/availability of the order, wherever urgent action is needed.
• Maintain strict confidentiality of ESIC cases and matters — violation can lead to de-empanelment.
• Not advise or appear against ESIC during the empanelment period, and immediately disclose any conflict of interest.
• Not use ESIC's name, logo, or symbol on letterhead, signboard, nameplate, or publicity material.
• Return all case records/briefs to ESIC whenever required or upon cessation of empanelment.

Fees and Billing

• Fees are payable as per the fee schedule notified by ESIC vide OM dated 25.03.2026.
• Bills for matters before a specific judicial/quasi-judicial forum are processed and paid by the office that assigned the case to the Advocate.
• Bills must be submitted in the prescribed manner with hearing details, orders, and other supporting documents required by the concerned office.
• Where a matter requires engaging a Law Officer, Senior Advocate, or an Advocate outside the panel in ESIC's interest, reasons must be recorded and Regional Director approval is mandatory.

Right to Private Practice & Restrictions

• An Advocate retains the right to private practice, provided it doesn't interfere with or conflict with their duties as an empanelled Advocate of ESIC.
• An Advocate shall not advise any party or accept any case/brief against ESIC during the period of empanelment.
• If the Advocate is a partner in a firm, the firm is also barred from taking up any case against ESIC in any court, or any case arising from appeal/revision in the Supreme Court, High Court, or other courts/tribunals.

Removal / De-empanelment

An Advocate may be removed from the panel for sufficient reasons, including:

• Submission of false or misleading information
• Failure to attend hearings without sufficient reason
• Failure to act as per ESIC instructions
• Frequent or unjustified adjournments
• Failure to submit hearing/status reports
• Breach of confidentiality or passing information to the opposite party/third party/media
• Accepting briefs against ESIC or a conflict of interest
• Professional misconduct, misconduct with ESIC officials, or unsatisfactory performance
• Any act prejudicial to ESIC's interests

Cancellation of Empanelment

ESIC reserves the right to terminate an Advocate's empanelment with one month's written notice, without assigning any reason. The Advocate may similarly apply for termination of empanelment by serving one month's notice.

Other Key General Conditions

• Empanelment confers only a right to be considered for legal work — it does not guarantee allotment of any case during the term of engagement.
• Allocation of cases is at ESIC's sole discretion.
• Upon termination or non-renewal, the Advocate must return all briefs/documents/records to ESIC along with a No Objection Certificate, if required. No Advocate may represent ESIC or undertake any related activity after expiry/termination.
• Empanelled Advocates cannot delegate cases — they must handle them personally, though they may coordinate with designated Senior Advocates or ESIC officers where required.
• Empanelled Advocates cannot represent themselves as "Legal Advisor of ESIC," "Advocate of ESIC," or similar, on letterhead, nameplate, pamphlets, etc., unless specifically authorised by ESIC.
• The Advocate must act only on ESIC's instructions and inform ESIC about proceedings after each hearing by email, furnishing copies of orders — without this, ESIC may not settle bills.
• No adjournment should be sought unless ESIC deems it necessary. Under no circumstance should an ESIC matter go unattended before Court — this is treated as a serious violation and may lead to de-empanelment.
• Refusal by an empanelled Advocate to take up an ESIC matter without proper justification may lead to cancellation/withdrawal of engagement.
• ESIC reserves the right to modify or relax terms at any time, and to verify submitted information. The Advocate must fully accept ESIC's terms as determined from time to time.
• The Advocate should have an office at the place where empanelment is sought, with adequate infrastructure (accessible office, chambers, library, manpower).
• Shortlisted Advocates may be called for further interaction before finalisation — no TA/DA is admissible for such interaction.
• ESIC reserves the right to accept/reject any application without assigning reason, or to postpone/cancel the entire empanelment process if necessary.
• All empanelled Advocates must exercise procedural diligence, accountability, and reporting discipline — lapses affecting ESIC's legal interest may attract administrative action under applicable rules.

Transition of Existing Panels

Once the Regional Office notifies the new approved panel, separate panels currently maintained by Sub-Regional Offices, Hospitals, Medical Institutions, and other field units under Odisha Region will cease to exist. Cases already assigned to Advocates who don't figure in the new approved panel may be withdrawn and reassigned to Advocates on the approved panel.

How & Where to Apply

Duly filled application in the prescribed format, along with all supporting documents, must be submitted in a closed envelope, superscribing:

"APPLICATION FOR THE EMPANELMENT OF ADVOCATES FOR HIGH COURT OF ORISSA or CAT-CUTTACK BENCH or NATIONAL CONSUMER FORUM or ANY DISTRICT-cum-E.I. COURTS IN STATE OF ODISHA"

...addressed to:

Regional Director
Employees' State Insurance Corporation
Regional Office, Panchdeep Bhawan,
Plot No. C, Janpath, Unit-IX,
Bhubaneswar, Odisha-751022
Tel: 0674-2546380
Email: rd-orissa@esic.nic.in

Important Dates

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Who can apply for this empanelment?
Practicing Advocates holding at least a Bachelor's Degree in Law, enrolled with the Bar Council of India, and meeting the specified minimum experience (10 years for High Court/CAT, generally 5 years for district-level courts and other forums).

Q2. I'm already on the existing ESIC Odisha panel — do I still need to apply?
Yes. Existing panel Advocates must apply afresh using Annexure-III; they will cease to be on the panel once the new panel is finalised.

Q3. What is the tenure of empanelment?
Ordinarily three years, though an Advocate may continue with allotted cases beyond that unless terminated earlier.

Q4. Does meeting the eligibility criteria guarantee selection?
No. Fulfilling eligibility criteria doesn't confer any right to be called for interaction or to be selected — shortlisting and selection are entirely at ESIC's discretion, based on a 100-mark evaluation across experience, case quality, legal knowledge, infrastructure, conduct, and interview performance.

Q5. Is there any TA/DA for attending the interview/interaction?
No, TA/DA is not admissible for attending the shortlisting interaction.

Q6. Does empanelment guarantee a certain number of cases?
No. Empanelment only confers a right to be considered for legal work; case allotment is at ESIC's sole discretion and is not guaranteed.

Q7. Can an empanelled Advocate continue private practice?
Yes, provided it doesn't conflict with their ESIC duties, and provided they don't accept any brief against ESIC during the empanelment period.

Q8. In what format should the application be submitted?
In a closed envelope, using the prescribed Annexure-II (fresh applicants) or Annexure-III (existing panel Advocates) format, superscribed as specified, and sent/delivered to the Regional Director's office in Bhubaneswar.

Q9. What happens to cases with Advocates not selected in the new panel?
Cases already assigned to Advocates who don't figure in the newly approved panel may be withdrawn and reassigned to Advocates on the approved panel.

Q10. Where can I find the detailed fee schedule and other terms?
On ESIC's website at roodisha.esic.gov.in › recruitment, and the fee schedule specifically per ESIC's OM dated 25.03.2026.

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