Jharkhand civil service aspirants protest JPSC age limits for 2025 exam

Civil service candidates in Jharkhand have launched protests against the age limits notified for the Jharkhand Civil Services Competitive Examination 2025, arguing that the criteria disqualify many aspirants who would have been eligible under earlier norms.

The objections relate to the Jharkhand Public Service Commission’s Advertisement No. 01/2026, which fixes both the minimum and maximum age as of 08/01/2026.

Aspirants contend that the upper age limit should instead be calculated from 08/01/2018, citing long gaps and delays in the conduct of examinations.

Demonstrations have been held outside the JPSC office in Ranchi, where candidates accused the commission of ignoring the impact of irregular exam scheduling on eligibility.

Protesters have also submitted representations to the Chief Minister and met the Governor, seeking immediate intervention to revise the age cut-off.

According to aspirants, Jharkhand has conducted only eight combined civil services examinations since its formation, far fewer than the number expected over the past 25 years.

They point to inconsistencies in age reference dates across previous exams, which they say have disrupted the chronological progression of eligibility.

In the 2017 examination, the maximum age was calculated as of 08/01/2013. For the 2023 exam, the maximum age reference was 08/01/2017, while the minimum age was fixed at 08/10/2024.

In contrast, the 2025 exam applies the same date, 08/01/2026, for both minimum and maximum age, a move aspirants describe as arbitrary.

Candidates argue that due to these gaps, individuals who were within the permissible age range in earlier years have now crossed the limit through no fault of their own. Many say they lost multiple opportunities because exams were not conducted regularly.

Aspirants have also compared Jharkhand’s system with states such as Bihar, where civil services examinations are held annually and missed exams are compensated for in subsequent years to prevent loss of chances.

With protests continuing, candidates are pressing the state government and the JPSC to revise the age criteria and adopt a more consistent examination schedule to ensure equal opportunity.