Government raises West Bengal Civil Service age limit

TNN | Jan 28, 2017, KOLKATA: The state government on Friday decided to raise the upper age limit for the entry of Group A and B category WBCS officers.

"The state government decided to increase the upper age limit for entry of Group A officers from 32 to 36. For Group B officers, it has been increased from 32 to 39," state education minister Partha Chatterjee said. Without going into the details, he said, "The state government will make a notification soon where all the details will be sharded, including the relaxation for SC, ST and OBC candidates."

The move is significant because chief minister Mamata Banerjee has been continuously asking for more responsibility for state government officers. "The increase of upper age limit will allow more aspirants to sit for exam and the state government will have a wide range of choice. The state government is trying to fill up all the vacant posts and this will reduce the state's dependence on the Centre," a top state government official said.

In a recent meeting of WBCS officers, the chief minister had said that the state would give equal importance to state executive officers along with the central cadres. She not only announced better promotion for the officers but also promised to send WBCS officers abroad.