Karnataka teacher aspirants: Age relaxation missing in notification

Teacher aspirants in Karnataka have said the state's recruitment notification for 15,000 teachers does not mention the five-year age relaxation the government granted earlier this year. The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) issued the notification on August 11, but candidates from Raichur said it applies old age limits. The government had raised the upper age limit by five years through a gazette notification on January 29, 2026, valid until December 2027. General category candidates would be eligible up to 40 years; 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B up to 48 years; and SC, ST, Category 1 and persons with disabilities up to 45 years. The KEA notification does not reflect this, according to aspirants.

The government has promised to fill 72,186 posts across departments. The five-year relaxation was a one-time measure to help candidates who lost opportunities due to recruitment delays caused by COVID-19 and the internal reservation dispute. However, candidates said the latest teacher recruitment ignores that order. "If this opportunity is not given, the lives of thousands of teacher aspirants who are crossing the age limit will become difficult," a candidate told Deccan Herald. Karnataka Primary School Teachers' Association leader Chandrashekhar said the age relaxation must be applied to teacher posts. "If discrimination continues, we will approach the court and seek a stay on the recruitment process," Prasanna Bhat told The Federal Karnataka.