The Maharashtra government on Thursday, November 5, 2026, officially approved a one-time, one-year relaxation in the upper age limit for recruitment examinations across the state. This policy shift follows the submission of an interim report by a high-level seven-member committee, chaired by Additional Chief Secretary V. Radha, which was established on September 4 to review and refine the state’s recruitment examination system.
The committee’s report included a significant proposal to increase the number of vacancies for the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) Group C examinations to more than 16,000. Currently, approximately 12 lakh candidates have registered for the MPSC Group C Combined Preliminary Examination 2026, which was originally advertised for over 5,000 positions. With various government departments submitting requisitions for an additional 11,000 posts, the committee has recommended that these be integrated into the current recruitment cycle via a formal corrigendum.
According to the Government Resolution issued on November 5, the age relaxation applies to recruitment advertisements published from January 1, 2026, provided that no stage of the selection process has already been completed. This benefit also extends to fresh advertisements issued through December 31, 2027. The order clarifies that the relaxation is applicable not only to MPSC exams but also to recruitment drives conducted by other state agencies. Furthermore, the commission has been tasked with ensuring that newly eligible candidates are granted a special opportunity to submit their applications.
The committee’s recommendations aim to enhance transparency and mitigate risks associated with examination irregularities. As a precautionary measure, officials have proposed cancelling the current question-paper preparation process and initiating a new, more secure procedure. The committee further suggested implementing stringent security protocols, including police deployment at examination centres, CCTV surveillance, the use of signal jammers, and specialized training for personnel handling Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) answer sheets.
Student representative Nitin Andhale, an organiser for the MPSC student movement, expressed cautious support for the government’s latest decision. While acknowledging that the age relaxation and the increase in total vacancies represent a positive step, he emphasized that students remain focused on the broader issue of examination patterns. Mr. Andhale specifically criticized the current descriptive pattern for the State Services main examination, suggesting that it creates an unequal playing field that favours candidates from urban, affluent backgrounds over those from rural or economically disadvantaged areas.
Mr. Andhale argued that the cost of preparing for descriptive-style tests can reach ₹2 lakh, necessitating a move to cities like Pune or Mumbai, which remains difficult for many aspirants. He urged the government to restore the previous objective-style examination pattern, characterizing the shift to descriptive formats as a barrier to equal opportunity. He warned that if the state does not fulfill previous assurances regarding the examination format, it could lead to widespread student protests across Maharashtra.
While the government has acted upon the age relaxation, other committee proposals, such as the increase in Group C vacancies, remain under consideration for further action. The committee has recommended maintaining the existing syllabus for the Group C preliminary examination, while also calling for the prompt announcement of the main examination syllabus for newly included categories. The standard upper age limits will revert to their original state for all advertisements issued from January 1, 2028, onwards.
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