CSIR mulls increasing upper age limit for scientists; aspirants still unhappy
A section of researchers have demanded that the upper age limit in scientist jobs should be 40 years or no age limit as many researchers become older than 35 years by the time they complete their PhD
NEW DELHI: In line with the recommendations of an expert committee formed to review the recruitment rules, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is considering increasing the upper age limit of scientist C — entry-level scientist positions in CSIR institutes and labs — from the existing 32 years to 35 years to address the concerns of the research scholars.

The agenda for increasing the age limit has been prepared and will be placed before the General Body (GB) of the council for approval in the next meeting, the council said.
“... That will address the concerns of the research scholars as submitted in their representation and make the age criteria uniform across all scientific departments or organizations. Meanwhile, the feasibility of regularising the advertisements for recruitment accordingly is being worked out,” CSIR said in a post on X on Monday night.
Though researchers hail CSIR’s decision to consider the revision in the age limit to 35 years, they demanded that the age limit should be 40 years or no age limit in scientist jobs as many researchers become older than 35 years by the time they complete their PhD. However, scientists at CSIR institutes said that with integrated bachelor-masters and masters-PhD courses, students are getting the required qualifications in less time and becoming scientists at younger ages than previous generations.
Set up in 1942 as an autonomous body, CSIR is a publicly funded multi-disciplinary industrial research and development organisation under the administrative supervision of the ministry of science and technology. CSIR has 37 research institutes and labs manned by around 3,500 scientists with support from about 4,000 technical and support personnel.
In 2001, the council formulated the ‘CSIR Scientist Recruitment and Assessment Promotion Rules” or CSRAP to govern the recruitment and promotion of entry-level scientists which had fixed the upper age limit to 35 years. In 2011, CSIR amended the CSRAP to decrease the age limit to 32 years from 35 years to “identify men and women of exceptional talent” and “attract committed younger professionals with substantially higher qualifications into its workforce.”
A senior scientist from CSIR’s National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (CSIR-NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram said, “Candidate with a master’s degree in relevant fields or PhD with relevant experiences is eligible for entry-level Science C positions of level 11 pay scale. The age limit was reduced from 35 to 32 years in 2011 as the scenario changed with students joining PhD courses immediately after their masters. I completed my PhD at the age of 31. Several Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), and Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru are offering four to six years of integrated masters-PhD and students are completing their PhDs much earlier than previous generations.”
Since December 2024, the All India Research Scholars Association (AIRSA), an organiszation that represents and supports research scholars across India, has been raising concerns over the upper age limit arguing it excludes experienced postdoctoral researchers with proven innovative capabilities.
“While we commend this decision, AIRSA strongly reiterates its longstanding demand for raising the upper age limit to 40 years. Such a reform is essential to provide greater opportunities for researchers and to foster a more inclusive and supportive academic environment,” said Dr Lal Chandra Vishwakarma, president of AIRSA.
Bipin Tiwari, a 36-year-old researcher at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi said, “Students usually take five to seven years to complete their research and get PhD degrees by the age of 37 to 40 years. CSIR does not advertise posts of Scientists C regularly and even cancels their recruitment notices making many candidates ineligible for the jobs. CSIR should raise the upper age limit to 40.”
At least three recruitment drives for scientific posts at three different CSIR institutes were cancelled between 2022 and 2024.
Dr Prafulla Tiwari, 38, who did PhD from King George Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow in 2023, said, “We become over 35 years of age by the time we complete our PhD and get relevant experiences. I am eligible to apply for various vacancies as per educational requirements, but I am ineligible due to the upper age limit. I could not apply for jobs in CSIR and now I am working as a faculty in a pharmacy college in Lucknow.”
