Five-year age relaxation for government jobs; Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announces major decision

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has announced a five-year relaxation in the upper age limit for candidates applying for direct recruitment to various government posts in the state, addressing a long-standing demand from job aspirants. According to a government press release, the decision was taken after considering repeated representations from candidates seeking additional time to become eligible for government jobs. The relaxation will remain in force for the next five years, with effect from October 30, 2026.

The additional five-year concession will be granted over and above the existing upper age limits and other applicable age relaxations prescribed for different categories.

For Group I services, the upper age limit for general category candidates has been increased from 32 to 37 years. For candidates belonging to reserved categories, the limit has been raised from 37 to 42 years.
Among persons with disabilities, the upper age limit for general category candidates has been increased from 42 to 47 years, while that for candidates belonging to reserved categories has been raised from 47 to 52 years.

In Group II and IIA services, there is currently no upper age limit for candidates belonging to reserved categories. However, the upper age limit for general category candidates has been increased from 30 to 35 years.
For general category candidates with disabilities applying for these posts, the upper age limit has been raised from 40 to 45 years.

Similar five-year relaxations will also apply to other categories of government services and social groups, in accordance with the applicable recruitment rules. The measure is aimed at providing additional opportunities to candidates who have been seeking more time to qualify for government recruitment examinations.