Gov’t asked to increase upper age limit for SC/ST

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, AUG 10: The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) today asked the Congress-led state government to increase the upper age limits of SC/ST candidates appearing for the upcoming civil service examination to 40 years as done in other states in the North East region.

In a memorandum to the chief secretary Y Tsering here on Thursday, KHNAM has also demanded the immediate re-advertising for the posts of Meghalaya Civil Service (MCS) officers in the state.

This came after the Meghalaya Public Service Commission (MPSC) had published an advertisement for the recruitment to the Meghalaya Civil Service on July 24.  The qualifying age was fixed to be above 21 years and below 27 years with upper age limits of five years for SC/ST.

“We strongly demands that the advertisement notified by the MPSC be re-advertised or amended by increasing the qualifying age to 40 years for scheduled caste/scheduled tribe candidates,” KHNAM state youth wing president Thomas Passah said in the memorandum.

He said that this is in view that the high rate of educated unemployed youth and the failure of the government to tap these talents into various services in the state government.

According to him, by increasing the upper age relaxation for the SC/ST candidates to 40 years as being followed in other NE states, the potential youth can be absorbed for employment.

Stating that the provision of the Meghalaya Civil Service Rules, 1975 do permits to take such step, he said that Section 9 Para (ii) clearly stated: “provided that the upper age limit may be relaxed in respect of candidates belonging to special categories in accordance with any general or special order issued by the government from time to time.”

In order to ensure that indigenous educated youth are given opportunities to be employed into various civil services in the state, the party further recommended the state government to amend the Meghalaya Civil Service Rules to ensure first priority be given to indigenous schedule tribe.

“The MCS Rules, 1975 should clearly indicate that candidate should have compulsory working knowledge of local language,” he added.

Referring to neighbouring states in the region while pushing for the demand, Passah said the Public Service Commission in Tripura had invited application for various post whereby qualifying age given was above 21 years and below 40 years and further age relaxation for SC/ST, differently able candidate and government servant was five years.

In Assam too, the government’s public service commission as per its advertisement notified, the qualifying age of applicants for preliminary examination of the combined competitive examination was above 21 years and below 38 years and further upper age limit relaxable by five years for SC/ST candidate (up to 43 years), he added.

Similar is the case with the two other states – Manipur and Mizoram. He also cited by referring to an Mizoram Civil Service (Combined Competitive Examination) Regulations, 2011 published in its Gazette and said section 4 states that the candidate who is qualified for the civil service examination must be a permanent resident of the state (Mizoram).

It also states that the candidate must attained the age of 21 years but must not have exceeded the age of 35 years on the first day of the month in which the examination is held. Provided that the upper age limit may be relaxable up to a maximum of 5 years in respect of candidate belonging to the SC/ST. working knowledge of Mizo language shall be compulsory it added.