The government indicated it is likely to accept the recommendation, with Union minister Jitendra Singh asking Lok Sabha on Wednesday to evolve a consensus on reducing the upper-age limit. A government panel called this week for a reduction in the upper-age limit of candidates for India’s civil services examination, prodding the NDA administration to ditch a decades-long practice of raising the ceiling under political compulsion. “A decision will be taken by the government in consultation with the UPSC,” a senior government official told HT. In the past, several panels have advocated a reduction in the upper-age limit but successive governments have done the opposite and raised it, from 26 in the 1960s to 28 in the 1980s and now, 32. But marks scored in the language paper were not counted for ranking successful candidates.

Source: Hindustan Times August 11, 2016 19:18 UTC