The Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board (UPPRPB) has kicked off the long-awaited Police Constable recruitment for 2026, but instead of calm, the announcement has triggered a fresh debate — this time over the age limit for general category candidates.
The recruitment notification, released last week, announced 32,679 vacancies across multiple posts, bringing relief to lakhs of aspirants who have been waiting for years. However, within days, demands for age relaxation for general category candidates began trending across social media and student forums.
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Recruitment Details at a Glance
Applications opened on December 31, 2025, and will remain open till January 30, 2026 through the One Time Registration (OTR) system on the official portal of the Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board.
The drive includes posts such as:
- Constable Civil Police
- Constable PAC / Armed Police
- Constable Special Security Force
- Women Constable (Women Battalion)
- Jail Warder (Male) and other equivalent posts
Both male and female candidates are eligible to apply.
Why General Category Aspirants Are Upset
The latest notification sets the age limit at 18 to 22 years for general category candidates, while reserved categories are allowed to apply up to 27 years, as per existing norms.
General category aspirants argue that recruitment delays over the past several years have pushed many eligible candidates beyond the upper age limit. Several students say they spent years preparing physically and academically, only to miss out because no major recruitment was conducted on time.
Political Voices Step In
The issue has now moved beyond student circles and entered the political arena.
Anil Kumar Tripathi, MLA from the Nishad Party and a BJP ally, publicly backed the demand for age relaxation.
“Police PAC and jail warder recruitments were pending for years. These exams are happening after nearly seven years. General category students became overage while waiting,” he said, adding that he has written to Yogi Adityanath urging relief for affected candidates.
Similarly, BJP MLA Shalabh Mani Tripathi has also written to the Chief Minister, seeking a minimum three-year age relaxation on humanitarian grounds, pointing out that many aspirants come from economically weaker backgrounds.
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Opposition Targets Government Over Delays
The opposition has seized the opportunity to corner the government.
Samajwadi Party spokesperson Deepak Ranjan and party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticised the BJP-led government, blaming administrative delays for the situation.
“Why should unemployed youth pay the price for the government’s flawed recruitment process?” the party said, demanding age relaxation for all affected candidates.
Official Stand Remains Unclear
So far, the recruitment board has avoided taking a clear position.
UPPRPB Chairman and DG S B Shirodkar declined to comment directly on the age relaxation issue, saying discussions on the matter were not possible at this stage and focusing instead on operational aspects of the recruitment process.
What Happens Next?
With applications already underway and political pressure rising from both allies and opposition parties, the spotlight is now firmly on the state government. Any decision on age relaxation will have a direct impact on thousands of aspirants who have been preparing for this exam for years.
For now, general category candidates remain in wait-and-watch mode — hoping that the government steps in before the recruitment process moves too far ahead.
