Kolkata: The West Bengal government has raised upper age limits for recruitment across multiple categories of state services, an order that took effect on May 11 underlining one of the administration’s early administrative changes following the state’s recent political transition, ANI reported.
Issued by the Finance Department (Audit Branch), the notification modifies the West Bengal Services (Raising of Age-limit) Rules, 1981, increasing age ceilings for several groups of posts. “The upper age-limit for recruitment to Group ‘A’ posts shall be raised to 41 years,” the order specifies, while protecting higher pre-existing limits: “Provided that where the existing upper age-limit for any such post or service exceeds 41 years, such higher upper age-limit shall continue unchanged.”
The directive also “mandates that the upper age-limit for recruitment to Group ‘B’ posts shall be raised to 44 years,” and declares that the cap for both “Group ‘C’ posts and Group ‘D’ posts shall be raised to 45 years.”
The notification also addresses recruitment carried out outside the Public Service Commission. “Provided further that where recruitment to any post or service is made in accordance with the provisions of the West Bengal Regulation of Recruitment in State Statutory Bodies, Government Companies and Local Authorities Act, 1999 (West Ben. Act XIV of 1999), and the rules or notifications issued thereunder, otherwise than through the Public Service Commission, West Bengal, the upper age-limit for such recruitment shall be 45 years,” the order said.
The changes come as part of a broader set of policy initiatives taken by the Suvendu Adhikari‑led administration since it ended 15 years of Mamata Banerjee’s rule. The 2026 Assembly election gave the BJP a decisive mandate in West Bengal, winning 206 of 294 seats — a sharp rise from the 77 it secured last time. The Trinamool Congress (TMC), which had 212 seats previously, fell to second place with 80 seats.
