Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Friday ordered a five-year relaxation in the upper age limit for direct recruitment to state government jobs, with the concession applying over and above existing age-relaxation norms for a period of five years.
The order was announced on October 30, 2026, in response to representations from government job aspirants, according to an official release reported by PTI. “The age relaxation will be over and above the extant norms that govern age relaxations,” the release said.
Under the new order, upper age limits for Group I services will rise from 32 to 37 years for general category candidates, and from 37 to 42 years for reserved categories. For differently abled candidates, Group I age limits will move from 42 to 47 (general category) and 47 to 52 (reserved categories).
For Group II and IIa services, the upper age limit for general category candidates will move from 30 to 35 years, and from 40 to 45 for differently abled general category candidates. Reserved category candidates in these groups already have no upper age limit.
The release cited these as illustrative scenarios, with the pattern applying across other groups and social categories under existing recruitment rules.
The announcement is expected to benefit candidates who are nearing the current upper age limit and would otherwise become ineligible for government recruitment examinations, in a decision described as a response to aspirant demands.
A day after the age relaxation order, CM Vijay hiked the Dearness Allowance for state employees from 60% to 63%, covering about 16 lakh employees, teachers, and pensioners, at an estimated cost of Rs 1,858 crore.
The two decisions come as the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government, led by the actor-turned-politician, continues to roll out welfare and workforce-focused measures since taking charge of the state administration.
The age-relaxation decision affects direct recruitment to Tamil Nadu government services, including posts filled through the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) and other state recruitment boards. State HR cells and recruitment agencies will have to update eligibility criteria and notification formats in line with the revised limits.
