One-time age relaxation
17/02/2018
The Centre Government has agreed to give one-time relaxation of five years in qualifying age for Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) candidates of Jammu and Kashmir after Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti took up the matter with Union Minister, Incharge Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Dr Jitendra Singh, first on telephone followed by an official communication. The issue also figured in the Legislative Assembly where Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called for immediate steps by the State Government to restore the age relaxation saying thousands of students, who had prepared themselves for the UPSC examinations, were shocked to see the notification wherein the age relaxation for Jammu and Kashmir candidates, which was going on for past 28 years, had been discontinued. Omar also targeted Dr Jitendra Singh, albeit without naming him, saying the age relaxation has been withdrawn at a time when Minister Incharge DoPT hailed from the State.
Moreover, the DoPT was of the view that circumstances in 1990 when the age relaxation was extended to Jammu and Kashmir, were “exceptional”, which didn’t exist now. However, since thousands of students have already prepared for the examinations, the DoPT Minister is reported to have agreed for one-time extension for Jammu and Kashmir candidates. The DoPT Minister reportedly wanted the State Government to send out a message that age relaxation will be for one-time only as some candidates have prepared for the examinations and in future exams, no such extension will be granted as many other States especially from North East and Himalayan have also started asking for it. In future, the age relaxation will be stopped. They pointed out that the age relaxation for UPSC examinations to Jammu and Kashmir students was extended in 1990 when situation was “extremely disturbed” and large-scale migration has also taken place. However, they said, such circumstances didn’t exist now and, therefore, the relaxation period has to be withdrawn.
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