In a major reform aimed at widening opportunities for employment seekers, the West Bengal government on Monday decided to remove the upper age limit for recruitment to state government jobs across all categories — general, OBC, SC, ST, and EWS. The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, with senior bureaucrats and departmental officials present.
Until now, candidates above a prescribed age — typically ranging between 30 to 42 years depending on the post and category — were ineligible to apply for most state government vacancies. The new directive will apply to all upcoming recruitment drives conducted by the West Bengal Public Service Commission (WBPSC), the state's direct recruitment board, and various department-specific hiring panels.
Officials said the revision follows extensive consultations with legal advisors and employment experts, who noted that stringent age caps were causing many deserving candidates to miss out on career opportunities. Many aspirants from rural and economically disadvantaged backgrounds often appear for examinations after multiple attempts, making the previous age restrictions particularly burdensome.
The education and revenue departments have been asked to issue revised notification templates within two weeks, ensuring that all future advertisements clearly reflect the removal of age barriers. State ministers expressed confidence that the change would encourage greater participation from young professionals and reduce the backlog of pending applications in several open recruitments.