Grant one year age relaxation for civil service aspirants: T.N. CM requests PM

CM M.K. Stalin has written to PM Narendra Modi in this regard; he has said this one-time relaxation will not cause any monetary burden to the exchequer, and will open a huge opportunity to thousands who aspire to join the civil services

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to consider the demand of civil service aspirants and grant an extra attempt with a corresponding age relaxation to all aspirants who have exhausted their last attempts due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is a one-time relaxation and it will not cause any monetary burden to the exchequer, but at the same time open a huge opportunity to thousands of youths who aspire to join the civil services,” Mr. Stalin said in his letter, further seeking to invoke Regulation 4 of the Indian Administrative Service Regulations, 1955.

Mr. Stalin pointed out that the Union government had also recently granted relaxation of three years beyond the respective prescribed upper age limit for all categories of candidates as a one-time measure for the recruitment of Constable (General Duty) in the Central Armed Police Forces Examinations, 2022.

“The Parliament Standing Committee has also recommended, to consider sympathetically, the demand of the civil service aspirants and to grant an extra attempt with a corresponding age relaxation to all aspirants,” Mr. Stalin pointed out.

The Supreme Court has also advised in various cases to take a lenient view in granting an extra attempt under Regulation 4 of the Indian Administrative Service Regulations, 1955, the CM said and added that over 150 Members of Parliament across various parties have supported the cause of the aspirants.

Mr. Stalin cited a G.O. issued by the Human Resources Management Department in September 2021 which raised the age limit by two years for the aspirants for state service examinations taking into account the impact of the pandemic.