Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Oct 1: In a significant policy shift that could open doors for thousands of police job aspirants, Karnataka’s Home Department is considering permanently relaxing the upper age limit for recruitment to police constable, sub-inspector (PSI), and police inspector (PI) posts.
The change, expected to be formalized within a week, will introduce three distinct age slabs, home minister Dr G Parameshwara confirmed.
Three-tier age bracket likely
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Dr Parameshwara revealed that the department is in the final stages of revising the cadre and recruitment rules for the police force. Drawing comparisons with practices in other Indian states, the minister said Karnataka will adopt a structured approach to age limits.
“We have studied recruitment norms in other states where the maximum age is set at 27, 30, and 33 years, depending on the category. We are examining those models and will finalise Karnataka’s own permanent age relaxation policy accordingly,” he stated.
The proposal comes on the heels of chief minister Siddaramaiah’s earlier announcement granting a one-time, three-year age relaxation across all government departments until 2027, to address delays in recruitment during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the home department intends to go a step further by making the relaxation permanent for police recruitment.
Centre delayed Census, but State survey will stay on track
Switching focus to the ongoing socio-economic and educational survey in Karnataka, Dr Parameshwara appealed to the Opposition—particularly the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)—to avoid spreading confusion about its objectives.
“The Union Government has already delayed the national census, which might now take place in 2026, potentially including caste data. In the meantime, our state-led survey aims to collect valuable data on the social, economic, and educational conditions of communities,” he said, adding, “There is no scope for misuse. It is purely a data-gathering exercise,” he added.
He reassured the public that the state’s survey process is progressing swiftly and will be completed by the scheduled deadline of October 7.
“In my district of Tumakuru, out of 7.5 lac households, surveys have already been completed for 2 lac families,” the minister noted.
Responding to rumours about administrative restructuring, Dr Parameshwara clarified that he had received no information about any proposal to merge Kunigal taluk in Tumakuru district with Bengaluru South district.
What this means?
The proposed permanent age relaxation for police recruitment is expected to make the force more accessible to a wider pool of candidates, particularly those who might have missed out due to previous rigid age limits. This move, if implemented, could also set a precedent for other departments to follow suit in making long-term reforms to recruitment policies.
With the socio-economic survey nearing completion and recruitment reforms in the pipeline, the Karnataka government appears to be taking bold steps toward inclusive governance and data-driven policymaking.