Higher age limit for govt job aspirants among MPSC reforms

The relaxation applies to recruitment advertisements issued between January 1, 2026, and December 31, 2027. Importantly, it will also cover eligible recruitment advertisements already published since January 1, 2026, provided that no stage of the selection process has been completed

MUMBAI: Following alleged question paper leaks in MPSC exams and the postponement of other papers, the state has provided relief to thousands of government job aspirants in Maharashtra. Accordingly, the government has raised the upper age limit by a year for candidates applying for recruitment examinations conducted by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) and other government recruitment agencies.

Higher age limit for govt job aspirants among MPSC reforms

The age-limit relaxation is a one-time special measure, not a permanent revision of the recruitment age criteria. “From January 1, 2028, the existing maximum age limits prescribed under the respective service recruitment rules or the government order dated April 25, 2016, will once again apply,” said an order issued by the state general administration department (GAD) on Friday.

The relaxation applies to recruitment advertisements issued between January 1, 2026, and December 31, 2027. Importantly, it will also cover eligible recruitment advertisements already published since January 1, 2026, provided that no stage of the selection process has been completed.

At present, the maximum age limit for entry into government service through competitive examinations is 38 years for open-category candidates and 43 years for backward classes. The one-year relaxation raises these age limits by a year each.

Moreover, the age-limit relaxation will not be restricted to MPSC exams. Other agencies that conduct government recruitment examinations will also have to abide by the provision.

The benefit will extend to posts for which separate service recruitment rules prescribe maximum age limits different from those specified in the April 25, 2016 order. This makes the decision relevant to a wider pool of government job aspirants across various departments and recruitment bodies in Maharashtra.

The age relaxation is among steps being taken by the government amid irregularities in the recruitment process. It is also part of the recommendations made by a high-level committee to inquire into alleged paper leaks and irregularities in MPSC exams.

Headed by V Radha, additional chief secretary, GAD, the panel in its interim report has also recommended increasing the number of vacancies for the MPSC Group-C Combined Preliminary Examination 2026 to more than 16,000. Around 120,000 candidates have applied for the examination, while recruitment advertisements have so far been issued for more than 5,000 vacancies.

The committee has also recommended reopening the application window once for the Group-C examination to allow candidates who become eligible following the proposed increase in vacancies and the age relaxation to submit their applications.

The MPSC Group-C Services Combined Preliminary Examination 2026, initially scheduled for October 25, was postponed and rescheduled for January 3, 2027.

In another major setback, the recruitment process for drug inspectors in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) department was cancelled following an alleged question paper leak on March 22. The Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2026 was also postponed just a day before the examination in June, after police uncovered an alleged question paper leak in Bhiwandi. The controversy led to a major agitation by MPSC aspirants, especially in Pune, that lasted 11 days.

NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, who led the protest called it a victory of students’ unity. “A high-level committee has recommended increasing the number of posts in the Group C exam by nearly 11,000, making a total of 16,000 posts to be filled. This will benefit students across the state. It has once again been underscored that if one stands firm for just demands, victory is certain,” he said.