SSC CGL AGE RECKONING ISSUE
SSC CGL AGE RECKONING ISSUE
The Issue
To,
Honorable Prime Minister of India
Mr. Narendra Modi Ji
New Delhi.
Subject: Petition for change of age reckoning date for SSC CGL 2023
Sir,
Dear Honorable Mr. Narendra Modi Ji, Prime Minister of India. I am very proud to have you as a PM. We would like to draw your kind attention to the issue of the cut-off date for age calculation for SSC CGLE 2023. The cut-off date has been changed to 1st August from 1st January (the cut-off date for the last 4 years). Thousands of aspiring candidates now stand debarred forever, as they are now over-age suddenly in one go, without any prior intimation.
1. As per the reply from the commission of the grievances filed by the affected aspirants, the commission has each time quoted DoPT order “OM No. AB 14017/70/87- Estt (RR)” dated 14.07.1988, (which specifies the cut-off date for age calculation). It mentions that the crucial date for age reckoning would be as per the dates of the Main examination. The reply given by the commission hasn’t mentioned the 3rd point of that order, which mentions the date for age reckoning in case of any exigencies.
2. It states “It may sometimes so happen that due to exigencies of circumstances an examination, which is normally held during the first half of the year, is shifted to the second half. In that case, the date for determining the age limits would still be the 1st of January, The exact position should be clearly indicated in the rules for the respective examinations, which are notified for the purpose”. Neither the exact position was indicated nor any reason for the shift in the cut-off date for age calculation was mentioned in the respective notification for the exam.
3. On 9th May, the SSC released the notification for the Combined Higher Secondary Level (CHSL) Examination 2023, wherein they mentioned the rule from the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) pertaining to age criteria. This admission by the SSC itself acknowledges the oversight in failing to mention the rule earlier. Also, there was no mention of the aforesaid DoPT notice dated 14th July 1988 in any exam notification of SSC CGL from 2019-2022, as there was mention of the aforesaid 1988 notice in the cut-off date relaxation notices in 2012, 2015 & 2016. If such mention of notice has been mentioned in the past, then it should have also been mentioned in the notification of the CGL 2023 exam or in previous year notifications.
4. It may also be noted that the aforesaid DoPT order mentions two stage exams and the cut-off date to be calculated based on the date of latter stage, which means that the date of second stage examination must be fixed. This pattern is followed in UPSC CS exam, the date for their main exams in notified with exam notification. Sadly, in the case of SSC CGL, the date for Tier-2 is hardly notified but it mentions that it would be notified later. If the date of that stage isn’t fixed then how can the commission fix the cut-off date for age calculation based on Tier-2? This above-mentioned argument weakens the validity of aforesaid DoPT order in respect of the SSC CGL exam.
5. It must also be noticed that in 2016 during the process of ongoing CGL 2016, a notice dated 3rd November 2016 was notified concerning the CGL 2017 exam, a year prior to the concerned exam. This move by the commission gave the aspirants for CGL 2017 an early intimation, which made the aspirants aware of their age eligibility on the cut-off date, 1 year in advance. This early intimation, well in advance helps any individual in terms of better preparedness, and the chaos & stress that have caused among aspirants could have been avoided.
6. One more argument about this issue regarding the competent authority to change the cut-off date for age calculation is that, when the delegation of affected aspirants met the officials, they were told that the DoPT can’t interfere in this matter and can’t force the commission and
vice-versa. It is to be noted that in the DOPT letter for cut-off date relaxation dated 22.05.2015, it is clearly mentioned that “The Commission has received Government approval vide DOPT letter No 24012/02/2015- Estt (B), Part dated 22.05.2015 to allow the candidates fulfilling the age criterion on 01.01.2015 to also apply in response to the advertisement for Combined Graduate Level”. A similar notice was notified in 2012 for the same aforesaid purpose. The above-discussed points clearly assert that DoPT is the competent authority to amend/suggest SSC to amend the cut-off date for age calculation.
7. What we are demanding isn’t unprecedented, but in 2012, 2015 & in 2016 similar requests were made by the affected students. Their requests were entertained by the competent authority, and relaxation was given to aspirants by changing the dates to 1st January.
8. Even if we believe that it was a one-time measure as it was notified earlier, then it should also be notified by that same competent authority, the reason for it being one-time relaxation, which was never mentioned. One logical reason for the relaxation can be, it was given to make room for the sudden change which had caused chaos and stress among the aspirants in 2012, 2015 & 2016. If such an exception can be done, given the circumstances, then why not a relaxation can be given in 2023 if those circumstances are again in 2023? The circumstances in 2023 are even worse as compared to 2012, 2015, and 2016. Thousands of jobs were lost, and financial promotions were halted, this resulted in the sudden increase of SSC CGL aspirants in 2023 to around 35 lakhs, which was the highest number ever in the history of the SSC CGL examination.
9. It should also be noted by the concerned authorities that we believe in the Indian Philosophical saying “Only change is permanent”. We welcome the changes in the scheme/course of examination. Last year many changes in the syllabus of the CGL exam was done, especially adding of computer knowledge in tier-2 as MCQ’s, although it was a challenging change as many high-scoring aspirants were left behind due to this change, but they welcomed it. But this change of cut-off date for age calculation, that too by 7 months has seriously impacted 10s of thousands of aspirants. Had the notice for the change been notified as it was done in the notice dated 3rd November 2016, no problems whatsoever would have occurred of any kind by the aspirants.
Therefore, we request you to kindly help us, so that our demands be kindly reconsidered by the competent authority -:
1. The cut-off date or age calculation must be amended to 1st January against the 1st August as mentioned in the CGL 2023 exam notification.
2. A prior intimation must be given to the aspirants via the notice, notified by the commission as it had notified on 3rd November 2016, for 2017 aspirants, a year well in advance.
Considering our interest, we hope that our demands will be accepted by the competent authority.
Regards
On the behalf of all SSC CGL aspirants
251
The Issue
To,
Honorable Prime Minister of India
Mr. Narendra Modi Ji
New Delhi.
Subject: Petition for change of age reckoning date for SSC CGL 2023
Sir,
Dear Honorable Mr. Narendra Modi Ji, Prime Minister of India. I am very proud to have you as a PM. We would like to draw your kind attention to the issue of the cut-off date for age calculation for SSC CGLE 2023. The cut-off date has been changed to 1st August from 1st January (the cut-off date for the last 4 years). Thousands of aspiring candidates now stand debarred forever, as they are now over-age suddenly in one go, without any prior intimation.
1. As per the reply from the commission of the grievances filed by the affected aspirants, the commission has each time quoted DoPT order “OM No. AB 14017/70/87- Estt (RR)” dated 14.07.1988, (which specifies the cut-off date for age calculation). It mentions that the crucial date for age reckoning would be as per the dates of the Main examination. The reply given by the commission hasn’t mentioned the 3rd point of that order, which mentions the date for age reckoning in case of any exigencies.
2. It states “It may sometimes so happen that due to exigencies of circumstances an examination, which is normally held during the first half of the year, is shifted to the second half. In that case, the date for determining the age limits would still be the 1st of January, The exact position should be clearly indicated in the rules for the respective examinations, which are notified for the purpose”. Neither the exact position was indicated nor any reason for the shift in the cut-off date for age calculation was mentioned in the respective notification for the exam.
3. On 9th May, the SSC released the notification for the Combined Higher Secondary Level (CHSL) Examination 2023, wherein they mentioned the rule from the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) pertaining to age criteria. This admission by the SSC itself acknowledges the oversight in failing to mention the rule earlier. Also, there was no mention of the aforesaid DoPT notice dated 14th July 1988 in any exam notification of SSC CGL from 2019-2022, as there was mention of the aforesaid 1988 notice in the cut-off date relaxation notices in 2012, 2015 & 2016. If such mention of notice has been mentioned in the past, then it should have also been mentioned in the notification of the CGL 2023 exam or in previous year notifications.
4. It may also be noted that the aforesaid DoPT order mentions two stage exams and the cut-off date to be calculated based on the date of latter stage, which means that the date of second stage examination must be fixed. This pattern is followed in UPSC CS exam, the date for their main exams in notified with exam notification. Sadly, in the case of SSC CGL, the date for Tier-2 is hardly notified but it mentions that it would be notified later. If the date of that stage isn’t fixed then how can the commission fix the cut-off date for age calculation based on Tier-2? This above-mentioned argument weakens the validity of aforesaid DoPT order in respect of the SSC CGL exam.
5. It must also be noticed that in 2016 during the process of ongoing CGL 2016, a notice dated 3rd November 2016 was notified concerning the CGL 2017 exam, a year prior to the concerned exam. This move by the commission gave the aspirants for CGL 2017 an early intimation, which made the aspirants aware of their age eligibility on the cut-off date, 1 year in advance. This early intimation, well in advance helps any individual in terms of better preparedness, and the chaos & stress that have caused among aspirants could have been avoided.
6. One more argument about this issue regarding the competent authority to change the cut-off date for age calculation is that, when the delegation of affected aspirants met the officials, they were told that the DoPT can’t interfere in this matter and can’t force the commission and
vice-versa. It is to be noted that in the DOPT letter for cut-off date relaxation dated 22.05.2015, it is clearly mentioned that “The Commission has received Government approval vide DOPT letter No 24012/02/2015- Estt (B), Part dated 22.05.2015 to allow the candidates fulfilling the age criterion on 01.01.2015 to also apply in response to the advertisement for Combined Graduate Level”. A similar notice was notified in 2012 for the same aforesaid purpose. The above-discussed points clearly assert that DoPT is the competent authority to amend/suggest SSC to amend the cut-off date for age calculation.
7. What we are demanding isn’t unprecedented, but in 2012, 2015 & in 2016 similar requests were made by the affected students. Their requests were entertained by the competent authority, and relaxation was given to aspirants by changing the dates to 1st January.
8. Even if we believe that it was a one-time measure as it was notified earlier, then it should also be notified by that same competent authority, the reason for it being one-time relaxation, which was never mentioned. One logical reason for the relaxation can be, it was given to make room for the sudden change which had caused chaos and stress among the aspirants in 2012, 2015 & 2016. If such an exception can be done, given the circumstances, then why not a relaxation can be given in 2023 if those circumstances are again in 2023? The circumstances in 2023 are even worse as compared to 2012, 2015, and 2016. Thousands of jobs were lost, and financial promotions were halted, this resulted in the sudden increase of SSC CGL aspirants in 2023 to around 35 lakhs, which was the highest number ever in the history of the SSC CGL examination.
9. It should also be noted by the concerned authorities that we believe in the Indian Philosophical saying “Only change is permanent”. We welcome the changes in the scheme/course of examination. Last year many changes in the syllabus of the CGL exam was done, especially adding of computer knowledge in tier-2 as MCQ’s, although it was a challenging change as many high-scoring aspirants were left behind due to this change, but they welcomed it. But this change of cut-off date for age calculation, that too by 7 months has seriously impacted 10s of thousands of aspirants. Had the notice for the change been notified as it was done in the notice dated 3rd November 2016, no problems whatsoever would have occurred of any kind by the aspirants.
Therefore, we request you to kindly help us, so that our demands be kindly reconsidered by the competent authority -:
1. The cut-off date or age calculation must be amended to 1st January against the 1st August as mentioned in the CGL 2023 exam notification.
2. A prior intimation must be given to the aspirants via the notice, notified by the commission as it had notified on 3rd November 2016, for 2017 aspirants, a year well in advance.
Considering our interest, we hope that our demands will be accepted by the competent authority.
Regards
On the behalf of all SSC CGL aspirants
251
The Decision Makers
Petition created on 18 May 2023