NITI Aayog recommends reducing upper age limit of Gen category to 27 for Civil Services Exam

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 20: With the release of Strategy for New India @75, NITI Aayog has recommended that the upper age limit of general category candidates for UPSC Civil Services examination should be reduced to 27 years by 2022-23. At present, the upper age limit of general category candidates for the examination is 32 years. This move by the NITI Aayog comes to put in place a reformed system of recruitment, training and performance evaluation of the civil service to ensure more effective and efficient delivery of public services to achieve the development goals envisaged in New India 2022. Apart from this, the government think tank has also recommended to reduce the number of civil services exams to one.

The NITI Aayog's official report reads, “Currently, there are more than 60 separate civil services exam at central and state level which need to be reduced through rationalisation and harmonisation of services. Recruits should be placed in a central talent pool, which would then allocate candidates by matching their competencies and the job description of the post. Concomitantly, the number of exams for civil services should ideally be brought down to one with all India ranking. States may also be encouraged to use this pool for recruitments.”

Further, NITI Aayog has also recommended lateral entry to induct specialists at higher levels of government with a view to provide much needed expertise.

These recommendations have been highlighted in The ‘Strategy for New India @75’ released today, December 20, 2018, with an objective to bring innovation, technology, enterprise and efficient management together at the core of policy formulation and implementation. It will also encourage discussion and debate and feedback for further refining the policy approach with an aim that economic transformation cannot happen without public participation.