Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that the government has no plan to increase the age-limit for the government service freshers. She said this while responding to a supplementary question from a treasury bench member in the parliament during the prime minister’s question-answer session in the House on April 2. The PM’s statement is, in fact, a response to those who have been demanding an increase in the age-limit for entry into government service.
The following arguments were put forward by a section of students and others for extension of age-limit to 35 years or so from the current age-limit of 30 years for entering government jobs. Firstly, students now take longer to finish their academic career. The government has extended one year of Honour’s and pass course period, but did not extend the age-limit for entry into government jobs. Due to this and other factors like “session jam,” and political unrest, graduation in many cases is not completed till a student reaches 27 or 28 years.
Secondly, the age-limit for entering government jobs for the sons and daughters of freedom fighters is 32 years. Extending the age-limit to 35 years will benefit all categories of candidates seeking government jobs. Thirdly, the government has increased the retirement age of public servants to 59 years from 57 years, so that it can be benefited from their experience. Extension of age-limit will similarly result in the recruitment of better candidates.
Fourthly, the age limit of job seekers is 35 years in many countries such as the UK, the US, Canada, and Australia. In West Bengal, the age-limit for entry into government jobs is 40 years. And finally, there is a serious unemployment problem for the educated youths in the country. Extension of upper age-limit for entering government job will be helpful for these unemployed youths.
What is important to note is that the deputy commissioners, who act as the “eyes and ears” of the government in the field administration, favour extension of the age-limit for entering government jobs. According to a report published in Dhaka Tribune on April 17, the DCs from across the country have recommended raising the age-limit for entering government service to 33 years. The recommendation, sent to the cabinet division, came ahead of this year’s DC conference, scheduled to be held in July. The recommendation seems to have put the government in an embarrassing position.
As stated above, the PM has ruled out the possibility of raising the age-limit for entering government jobs. She has said that classes and examinations are being held in all educational institutions timely despite some untoward incidents. As a result, session jam has been reduced and students are graduating on time. So there is no need to increase the age-limit. She has also added that enhancement of age-limit would not be beneficial for the job seekers.
It may be mentioned that during the Pakistani rule, upper age-limit for entering government jobs was 25 years. After liberation, the Bangladesh government raised the upper age-limit to 27 years for appointment to services/posts under the government, autonomous corporations/organisations, and nationalised enterprises. The upper age-limit for the freedom fighters was fixed at 30 years. Subsequently, the upper age-limit for entry into jobs in government, corporations, and nationalised bodies was raised to 30 years. The age-limit for the freedom fighters was raised to 32 years, which has now been made applicable to the sons and daughters of the freedom fighters.
The arguments for not raising the upper age-limit for entry into government jobs are summarised below. Firstly, the present upper age-limit is actually the age-limit for submission of the application forms for jobs in the government and other bodies controlled by the government. Normally it takes one to two years for processing the applications and selecting appropriate candidates for the advertised post. By this time a candidate may reach 31 or 32 years. And a freedom fighter’s son or daughter may reach 33 or 34 years. But this does not disqualify him or her from joining the job, if selected.
Additionally, those who demand or suggest raising the age-limit for entering government jobs argue that due to factors like session jam, political unrest, and others, graduation in many cases is not completed till a student reaches 27 or 28 years. If this is the situation, then the candidate is still left with two to three years to compete for jobs in the governmental and autonomous bodies. As stated above, if a candidate applies for a job when he or she is about to reach 30 years, he or she is getting more time to try his or her luck for jobs.
If the upper age-limit for entering government job is raised to 35 years, then a candidate who completes his or her education at 26-27 years will have to compete with another who might be 35-years-old and in that case “the playing field will not be level.”
A new recruit, particularly a BCS cadre post holder has to undergo extensive training after recruitment. Experience has shown that as learners, comparatively young recruits are the most receptive to new teaching.
Available information suggests that age-limit of groups “C” and “D” of the West Bengal Civil Service (WBCS) comprising posts like joint block development officer, deputy assistant director of consumer affairs and fair business practices, assistant canal revenue officer (irrigation), inspector of co-operative societies, panchayat development officer under the panchayat and rural development department has been raised to 40 years. For executives and police belonging to group “A” and “B” respectively, the upper age-limit remains at 32 years. In Pakistan, the upper age-limit for appearing at the CSS examination is 28 years. This is relaxable by two years for scheduled caste, Buddhist community, and certain other disadvantaged groups.
And finally, it is learnt that as per a provision under National Service Policy, a person who has rendered national service shall, for the purpose of appearing at any competitive examination held for appointment to any service or post, be entitled to deduct from his age the period actually spent by him in national service.
In view of what has been stated above, the issue regarding raising the upper age-limit for entering government job has to be examined very carefully. There should not be any hurry or enthusiasm for another extension of upper age-limit for the government service freshers. As in the past, the government may go for one-time relaxation of the upper age-limit to meet any urgent situation.