Congress MLA Calls for End to Age Cap in Tripura Assistant Professor Recruitment
Agartala, June 23, 2025: Senior Congress leader and MLA Sudip Roy Barman has formally urged Tripura Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha and the Tripura Public Service Commission (TPSC) to scrap the existing upper age limit of 40 years for Assistant Professor positions in the state’s general and professional degree colleges. Roy Barman contends that this age restriction is a direct contravention of University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines.
In a strongly worded letter, the Congress MLA pointed out that recent TPSC recruitment advertisements, specifically No. 05/2025 dated January 30 and No. 15/2025 dated May 7, unfairly bar eligible candidates above 40 from even applying. He underscored that UGC norms, which govern such academic appointments nationwide, do not prescribe any upper age limit for Assistant Professor roles, allowing for a broader pool of talent.
“Numerous NET/SET/PhD-qualified candidates and experienced guest lecturers from Tripura are facing unjust discrimination due to this arbitrary age cap,” Roy Barman stated, highlighting the plight of local aspirants. He further noted that several other Indian states, along with Tripura University, which operates under central government purview, do not impose such restrictive age criteria for similar academic positions.
The Congress legislator’s appeal implores the state government to align its recruitment policies with established national academic standards, thereby ensuring equal opportunity for all qualified individuals, irrespective of their age. This intervention has sparked a renewed debate within academic circles and among job seekers, intensifying pressure on the state administration to reconsider and revise the current rules in the interest of meritocracy and fairness in the recruitment process.