Maharashtra grants one-year age relaxation for state recruitment exams

The Maharashtra government has announced a one-time, one-year relaxation in the upper age limit for candidates appearing in state recruitment examinations. The concession will remain in force until December 31, 2027, and is expected to benefit aspirants affected by recruitment delays.The Maharashtra government has announced a one-time, one-year relaxation in the upper age limit for candidates appearing in state recruitment examinations. (Photo: PTI)Mumbai,Nov 6, 2026 11:30 ISTThe Maharashtra government has granted a one-time relaxation of one year in the upper age limit for candidates appearing for state recruitment examinations, extending the concession until December 31, 2027, as per PTI.The decision, announced on Thursday, is expected to benefit candidates who became ineligible because of delays in recruitment advertisements and selection procedures.WHO WILL GET THE ONE-YEAR AGE RELAXATION?The General Administration Department announced the decision through a government resolution. It said the relaxation would apply to Maharashtra Public Service Commission recruitment advertisements published between January 1 and November 5 this year where the selection process has not begun.The concession will also apply to fresh MPSC recruitment advertisements issued between November 5 and December 31, 2027, according to PTI. The state government clarified that the one-year relaxation would also apply to examinations conducted by recruitment agencies other than the MPSC.It will cover posts where the maximum age limit under the relevant service recruitment rules differs from the limit set in the government resolution dated April 25, 2016. The latest resolution directed the MPSC to take the necessary steps to give a one-time opportunity to candidates who become eligible under the relaxation but could not submit their applications earlier.However, the concession will not apply to advertisements issued on or after January 1, 2028. The existing upper age limit under the relevant service recruitment rules or the April 25, 2016 resolution will continue to apply to such recruitment drives.WHY HAS MAHARASHTRA EXTENDED THE AGE LIMIT?The decision follows repeated protests by competitive examination aspirants in Maharashtra seeking an age-limit relaxation for recruitment to government posts.In January this year, thousands of MPSC aspirants demonstrated in Pune ahead of the Group-B non-gazetted preliminary examination. They sought a one-year relaxation in the upper age limit for Police Sub-Inspector recruitment.The protests followed delays in issuing recruitment advertisements, which candidates said had left several otherwise eligible aspirants overage. The protesters also demanded that the cut-off date for calculating age be revised to January 1, 2025.In December 2024, the state government had announced a similar one-time relaxation for MPSC recruitment after delays in the selection process linked to changes in reservation arrangements.“The concession is being considered in connection with recommendations made by a high-level committee constituted to comprehensively examine the state's existing recruitment examination system and suggest necessary reforms,” the government resolution issued on Thursday said, according to PTI.The one-year relaxation will, therefore, cover eligible recruitment advertisements issued up to December 31, 2027, while the existing age limits will again apply to advertisements issued from January 1, 2028.- Ends