West Bengal Increases Govt Job Entry Age by 5 Years in First Cabinet Meeting

In a historic first cabinet meeting held at the state secretariat, Nabanna, West Bengal’s newly-formed BJP government has announced a sweeping series of administrative and welfare reforms. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari led the session, headlined by a major decision to increase the age limit for government job applications by five years.

The move aims to address a long-standing backlog in the recruitment process and provide a second chance to the state's educated youth.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari stated that the decision fulfills a commitment to address the years of stagnant recruitment in the state.

"Union Home Minister Amit Shah ji had previously noted that recruitment processes in the state were stalled for a long time. Keeping that in mind, we have decided to increase the age limit by five years to provide more opportunities to our educated youth." — Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari

In West Bengal, the general maximum age for government job applications is currently 40 years. With this new 5-year extension, general candidates may now apply up to 45 years. Similar extensions are expected to apply to reserved categories, where limits were previously set at 43 and 45 years.

Marking a complete shift from the previous administration's policy, the cabinet confirmed that West Bengal has officially joined the ‘Ayushman Bharat’ health scheme. Additionally, several other central programs will be fully implemented across the state:

• Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana

• Kisan Bima Yojana

• Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao

• Ujjwala Yojana

District Magistrates have been directed to expedite application processing for these schemes immediately.

The cabinet resolved the long-standing deadlock over land acquisition for border fencing. The Chief Secretary and the Land & Revenue Secretary have been ordered to hand over the necessary land to the Border Security Force (BSF) within the next 45 days.

Furthermore, West Bengal has formally adopted the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the new national criminal code that replaces the British-era Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

Addressing public concerns, the Chief Minister assured that no existing social welfare projects from the previous TMC government—including Lakshmir Bhandar—would be shut down. However, he clarified that strict audits would be conducted to ensure benefits are not given to "deceased individuals or non-citizens."

The next cabinet meeting is scheduled for next Monday. Chief Minister Adhikari announced that the upcoming session will focus on:

• Resolving the R.G. Kar Medical College issue and preventing violence against women.

• Uprooting institutional corruption.

• Addressing outstanding Dearness Allowance (DA) arrears and Pay Commission concerns for state government employees.

Following the cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister held separate review sessions with top administrative officials, District Magistrates, and senior police officers to streamline the state’s new administrative roadmap.