MPPSC Ends Age Relaxation for EWS Male Candidates
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For government job selection, the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) has removed the five-year age advantage that was previously given to male candidates in the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) category. Candidates who had expected the greater age restrictions for eligibility following a recent ruling by the Madhya Pradesh High Court have expressed much criticism and disappointment about the decision. According to the revised MPPSC rules, the maximum age for male EWS candidates applying under the general category is 40, which is greater than the earlier limit of 45. The commission announced that this change is in reaction to the High Court’s ruling that the prior exclusive age relaxation for male EWS applicants was unreasonable and violated constitutional standards. At a critical moment, the decision to end the benefit happens since the recruiting process for several state government positions is about to start. The modified law has ruled out a number of male EWS applicants who had been preparing for selection up until the age of 45 based on their presumed eligibility. Up-and-coming politicians who have employed social media and planned protests against the abrupt policy change after years of preparation have labeled the decision as a “massive unfairness. ” The disagreement began with a petition filed with the Madhya Pradesh High Court against the special age concession granted to male applicants from the EWS category, claiming it unfairly favored one subgroup of general category candidates without justification. At the case hearing, the High Court ruled that such a clause constituted an “unreasonable categorizing” and was therefore not legally permissible. It instructed the MPPSC to stop the five-year break and match the upper age limit for male EWS candidates with current legislation. The MPPSC published a fresh announcement changing the requirements for future and current recruiting exams following the court’s ruling. Some contend that the decision unfairly prejudices applicants who are not qualified for any other category-based accommodations, whereas others view it as a step toward promoting public employment equality. Established in 2019, the EWS category allows a maximum of 10% reservation for government employment and education for financially underprivileged people from the general category. Amendment 103 of the Constitution enabled this. Each commission and state would, therefore, decide separately since the change did not demand any particular age relief benefits. Madhya Pradesh is rethinking its policy of providing men from the weaker economic sector (EWS) five extra years of age alleviation as a result of judicial review. For candidates in the general category EWS, the upper age limit is 40, therefore they have been left behind. Many candidates have stressed that age relaxations and quotas still favor other designated groups including SC, ST, and OBC. Recent developments have started debate about the best approach to arrange affirmative action programs and on whether the current framework meets the needs of applicants from the EWS. The political parties of the state have also reacted forcefully to the event. Opposition leaders have chastised the commission and the government for not adequately safeguarding the interests of impoverished youngsters from the rest of society. Many leaders have urged the state government to obtain a review of the ruling from the High Court or pass legislation restoring the age relaxation. Subject to more judicial processes, the MPPSC has declared that the updated age requirements will be constantly applied across all current and future recruiting campaigns. Candidates must carefully read the most recent notifications before registering for an exam. As the candidates affected become more and more unhappy, the topic will probably continue to capture legal and public sphere interest in the next few days. This change eliminates the time and money spent getting ready for competitive exams as well as disqualifies particular candidates. The decision has once more highlighted the fine line between merit, justice, and fairness in the employment and reservation processes of the nation.
