Pune: The Maharashtra government has extended the maximum age limit for recruitment to various posts in the State Government Services through the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) by one year. This move comes as a relief for thousands of candidates who were rendered ineligible due to crossing the age limit.

The age relaxation applies to candidates applying for the Maharashtra Group-B (Non-Gazetted) Combined Examination and the Group-C Examination. Following this decision, the preliminary examination for Group-B, originally scheduled for January 5, has been postponed to February 2, 2025. Similarly, the Group-C Preliminary Examination, earlier slated for February 2, will now take place on May 4, 2025.

Impact of Examination Delays

The MPSC's Group-B (Non-Gazetted) Combined Examination is a major recruitment avenue, with a significant number of posts filled annually through this process. This year, however, the advertisement for the examination was delayed by nearly nine months, impacting approximately 55,000 to 60,000 candidates who had crossed the maximum age limit during this period.

In response to demands from affected candidates, the government decided to extend the age limit by one year, ensuring they have the opportunity to participate in at least two upcoming examinations.

Application Process

Candidates who were previously ineligible due to the age limit can now apply until January 6, 2025. The final date for online fee payment is also January 6. Applicants submitting fresh applications will be assigned examination centers only in specific districts, including Amravati, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nagpur, Nashik, Navi Mumbai, and Pune.

This age relaxation applies exclusively to recruitment advertisements issued between January 1 and December 20, 2024, for posts where no stage of the selection process has been completed.