Urges govt to restore age limits appropriate to the nature of each post
Chennai: Anna University ’s former vice-chancellor and former member of the Union Public Service Commission , Prof E Balagurusamy, has urged chief minister C Joseph Vijay to reconsider the state govt’s recent decision to raise the upper age limit for recruitment to govt services by five years. In his letter to the chief minister, Balagurusamy urged govt to restore age limits appropriate to the nature of each post, particularly Group I and other field services, keeping in mind the need for young, energetic and future-ready administrators.
He said Group I posts, such as deputy collectors and deputy superintendents of police, require officers with contemporary knowledge, digital skills, adaptability, analytical abilities and the capacity to respond to emerging technologies. Recruiting officers at relatively advanced ages, he said, could reduce the number of productive years available for field administration and leadership responsibilities. Balagurusamy said the upper age limit had been extended without adequate consideration of the nature of the responsibilities involved and the long-term interests of public administration. The move, he said, could have unintended consequences for youth employment and administrative efficiency. “Compassion towards candidates affected by recruitment delays is justified, but it should not come at the cost of the employment aspirations of younger generations,” he said.
He suggested that govt provide time-bound transitional relief to candidates genuinely affected by recruitment delays instead of making the relaxation a permanent policy. He also called for age criteria tailored to individual posts, an annual TNPSC recruitment calendar, the expeditious filling of vacancies and a comprehensive review involving educationists, administrators, human-resource experts and youth representatives.