MPSC Group-C Vacancies May Increase To 16,000 As Panel Recommends 1-Year Age Relaxation For Recruitment Exams

Pune, Nov 05: In a major relief for aspirants preparing for government recruitment examinations in Maharashtra, a high-level committee constituted by the state government has recommended increasing the number of vacancies for the Maharashtra Public Service Commission’s (MPSC) Group-C Combined Preliminary Examination 2026 to over 16,000. The committee has also proposed a one-time relaxation of one year in the maximum age limit for candidates appearing for various state recruitment examinations.

The committee, constituted through a Government Resolution on September 4, 2026, submitted its interim report to the state government on Thursday, following consultations with students and other stakeholders. The recommendations aim to make the state’s recruitment examination system more transparent, secure and reliable.

MPSC Group-C Vacancies May Exceed 16,000

Around 12 lakh candidates have applied for the MPSC Group-C Preliminary Examination 2026, for which advertisements have been issued for more than 5,000 posts. However, various government departments have forwarded demands for over 11,000 additional vacancies to the MPSC. The committee has recommended including these posts through a corrigendum, taking the total vacancies to more than 16,000.

One-Year Age Relaxation Proposed For Candidates

The panel has also recommended a one-time, one-year relaxation in the upper age limit for advertisements issued after January 1, 2026, where the selection process has not commenced, as well as advertisements published until December 31, 2027.

To accommodate candidates benefiting from the additional vacancies and age relaxation, the committee has proposed reopening the Group-C 2026 application process once.

Fresh Question Papers And Security Measures

On examination security, the panel has recommended preparing fresh question papers through a secure process, cancelling the earlier question paper-setting exercise as a precautionary measure, and strengthening security during printing, storage and transportation of question papers and OMR sheets.

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It has also recommended police deployment, CCTV surveillance, signal jammers and trained personnel at examination centres. The committee has further advised against changes to the existing Group-C preliminary examination pattern and syllabus and called for the early announcement of the Main Examination syllabus for newly included cadres.