The government on Tuesday rubbished media reports which suggested that the age criteria for appearing in civil service examinations was being changed. The government insisted that there was no decision on altering the age criteria. The present age limit for appearing in the UPSC examination is 32 years.

"There is no move on the part of the government to alter the age criteria of eligibility to appear in civil service examination, therefore, all the reports and speculation should be put to rest," said Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (MoS) in Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and Personnel.

Furthermore, an official spokesperson from the government clarified, "Attention is drawn to media reports about a possible reduction in maximum entry age for the Civil Services Examination. It is hereby clarified that there is no such proposal under contemplation of the government."

In November, the NITI Aayog had suggested that the upper age limit for appearing in the UPSC examination be reduced to 27 years.

"The upper age limit for the civil services should be brought down to 27 years or the general category in a phased manner by 2022-23. Service conditions for employees of autonomous bodies need to be regulated and harmonized," the think tank had said in a report.