Karnataka Govt Job Age Limit Increased by 5 Years: Check New Eligibility Criteria

In a major relief for thousands of government job aspirants, the Karnataka Cabinet has officially approved a one-time age relaxation of five years for all direct recruitment examinations. This significant decision, taken on Thursday, is aimed at helping candidates who lost precious years due to recruitment delays and the recent freeze on hiring processes.

The move comes as a beacon of hope for aspirants who had crossed the eligibility age limit while waiting for official job notifications. Here is a detailed breakdown of the new age limits, who benefits, and how long this rule will remain valid.

Cabinet Decision: A Second Chance for Aspirants

The State Cabinet, led by the Chief Minister, gave its nod to increase the upper age limit by 5 years for all categories of candidates. This applies to direct recruitment for government services across various departments.

Previously, the government had considered a 3-year relaxation, but after reviewing the demands from student unions and considering the long gap in recruitments due to legal hurdles over reservation policies, the relaxation was increased to 5 years.

New Age Limit Breakdown

With this new order, the eligibility criteria for applying to government jobs in Karnataka have changed significantly. The revised upper age limits are as follows:

• General Merit (GM): Increased from 35 years to 40 years.
• Other Backward Classes (OBC): Increased from 38 years to 43 years.
• SC/ST and Category-1: Increased from 40 years to 45 years.

This revision ensures that candidates who recently “aged out” of the system are brought back into the eligibility pool.

Why Was This Decision Taken?

The primary reason for this historic decision is the delay in the recruitment process over the last two years.

1. Recruitment Freeze: Hiring for many posts was put on hold due to confusion and legal battles regarding the internal reservation for Scheduled Castes.
2. COVID-19 Impact: The lingering effect of the pandemic had already slowed down administrative processes, causing many aspirants to lose their eligibility window without getting a fair chance to appear for exams.
3. Aspirant Protests: Various student organizations had been protesting, demanding a fair chance to compete for jobs that were delayed through no fault of their own.

Validity Period: How Long Does This Apply?

It is important to note that this is a one-time measure and not a permanent change to the service rules.

• The 5-year age relaxation is applicable only for direct recruitments notified till December 31, 2027.
• Any recruitment notification issued after this date will likely revert to the original age limits unless the government decides otherwise in the future.

What Happens Next?

Following the cabinet nod, the state government will issue an official gazette notification. Once published, all ongoing and upcoming recruitment boards (such as KPSC, KEA, and departmental selection committees) will update their eligibility criteria.

Aspirants are advised to restart their preparation immediately, as a wave of new job notifications—including for police, revenue, and administrative posts—is expected to be released in the coming months to clear the backlog.

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