10-year age relaxation announced for disabled people in Govt posts

The Centre has given the go-ahead to a relaxation of 10 years in age for the visually-challenged, hearing impaired, and persons suffering from locomotor disability or cerebral palsy in cases of direct recruitment to all posts under the Central Government.According to the new rules announced by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Monday, the disabled populations belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe categories will get 15 more years and those from Other Backward Class (OBC) will be entitled for 13 years relaxation.

However, the relaxation is applicable with the condition that the minimum disability is 40 per cent and the maximum age of the applicant shall not exceed 56 years, the new rules said.Earlier, there was a provision of five years of concession in upper age limit (10 years for SC/ST, eight years for OBC) for recruitment to Group ‘A’ and ‘B’ posts, otherwise than through open competitive examination. There was a provision of ten years of concession in upper age limit for Group ‘C’ and ‘D’ posts filled through employment exchanges.

“Age relaxation of 10 years (15 years for SC/ST and 13 years for OBC candidates) in upper age limit shall be allowed to persons suffering from (a) blindness or low vision, (b) hearing impairment and (c) locomotor disability or cerebral palsy in case of direct recruitment to all civil posts or services under the Central Government identified suitable to be held by persons with such disabilities,” said the order.

The age concession to the persons with disabilities shall be admissible irrespective of the fact whether the post is reserved for person with disabilities or not, provided the post is identified suitable for the relevant category of disability, it said.“This provision will not apply to the civil services examination, in respect of which the list of services identified suitable for physically disabled category along with the physical requirements and functional classifications is notified separately,” the DoPT said.

“If a person with disability is entitled to age concession by virtue of being a central Government employee, concession to him or her will be admissible either as a ‘person with disability’ or as a ‘central Government employee’ whichever may be more beneficial to him or her,” the DoPT rules said.