Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 28 July 2025
Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray, Hon’ble Member of Parliament from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, has formally appealed to the Central Government and the UT Administration to fix the upper age limit for direct recruitment to Group-B (Non-Gazetted) and Group-C posts at 40 years across all departments under the A&N Administration, with an additional five-year relaxation for local residents.
In representations addressed to the Hon’ble Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Mr. Amit Shah, and Hon’ble Lt. Governor Admiral (Retd.) D.K. Joshi, the MP has sought urgent intervention on the issue. Copies of the letter were also marked to the Chief Secretary and other senior officials of the UT Administration for necessary action.
In his communication, Mr. Ray underlined the unique geographical isolation, limited economic opportunities, and the absence of private-sector growth in the islands. He emphasized that government employment remains the primary source of livelihood for the educated youth of the Union Territory.
Highlighting past practices, Mr. Ray noted that the Administration had historically maintained a more flexible upper age limit of 38 years, in alignment with the ground realities of the islands. However, he expressed serious concern over recent administrative proposals to reduce the upper age limit to 27 years for certain posts, including Surveyor in the Revenue Department and Field Worker/Mazdoor in the Health Department.
The MP argued that such a drastic cut in the age limit would disqualify many deserving candidates, especially those who pursue higher education on the mainland—often with significant financial burden—only to miss out on government jobs due to infrequent job notifications and rigid age norms. He also cited Article 309 of the Constitution, which empowers Union Territories to frame recruitment rules according to local socio-economic conditions.
To strengthen his case, Mr. Ray referenced similar policies in other regions:
1. Ladakh has set the upper age limit at 40 years for all Group-B (Non-Gazetted) and Group-C posts (Order No. 448 LA(GAD) of 2024, dated 27.09.2024).
2. Goa permits candidates up to 45 years for state government jobs.
3. Telangana allows up to 46 years, and Andhra Pradesh up to 42 years for non-uniform posts.
Based on these examples and the specific context of the islands, Mr. Ray placed the following demands:
1. Fix the upper age limit at 40 years (as on 1st January of the recruitment year) for all Group-B (NG) and Group-C posts under the A&N Administration.
2. Provide an additional five-year relaxation for permanent local residents, given the absence of a formal local reservation policy.
Mr. Ray urged both the Central Government and the A&N Administration to adopt an inclusive, empathetic approach to protect the aspirations of the unemployed youth of the islands. A policy framework similar to that of Ladakh, he said, would be a fair and just response to the socio-economic challenges faced by island residents.
