Kerala PSC age limit increase: No retrospective effect for 40-year upper age cap

Thiruvananthapuram: An order has been prepared in the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department based on the Cabinet’s recommendation to raise the upper age limit for applying to Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) examinations by four years across all categories. The order is expected to be issued on Thursday.

The enhanced age limit will apply only to future notifications issued by the PSC. The first notifications of this year are scheduled to be published on February 28.

Four notifications were approved at the Commission meeting held two weeks ago. If the revised age limit is to be made applicable to these, their publication will have to be deferred. A decision in this regard has to be taken by the Commission.

With the introduction of the contributory pension scheme from April 1, 2013, the retirement age in State service for those covered under it is 60. Candidates have been demanding since 2013 that the upper age limit for PSC notifications be increased accordingly.

When the previous UDF government unified the retirement age at 55, and the subsequent LDF government raised it to 56, the upper age limit for applying to the PSC was increased by one year.

Those who became ineligible to apply from 2023 onwards after crossing the age limit will now get an opportunity.

However, it is not yet clear whether the enhanced age limit will apply to teaching posts, uniformed services and higher posts such as the Kerala Administrative Service (KAS), which have separate age criteria.