Dimapur, September 16 (MExN): The Central Nagaland Students’ Association (CNSA) today extended its support to the demands by the Concerned Aspirants Group regarding age relaxation to 37 years for government job applicants in Nagaland in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The association cited delayed career opportunities for millions of individuals across the country and state in supporting the demand.
It further noted that the COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread lockdowns, business closures, and delays in the recruitment process across various sectors, including the government, and many aspiring candidates who were preparing for government jobs found their efforts halted or postponed due to these unprecedented circumstances, it said.
Many of them are unable to meet the current age criteria due to the prolonged public health crisis, it added.
According to the CNSA, this “unfairly penalized” many individuals who have crossed the age limit through no fault of their own.
The government has a responsibility to acknowledge these unique circumstances and make provisions for those affected, it said.
By extending the age limit to 37 years, the government can ensure that qualified candidates who lost crucial years during the pandemic are not denied the opportunity to contribute to the public sector, added a press release issued by CNSA President, R. Sunep Pongen, and General Secretary, Anoka H. Zhimo.
To this end, stating that many job seekers have expressed frustration over the inflexibility of the current age criteria, especially given the extraordinary challenges posed by COVID-19, the CNSA urged the government to take immediate steps to provide an age relaxation of up to 37 years for all government job applicants.
It further called for a review of recruitment policies that account for pandemic-related disruptions so that no candidate is unfairly disadvantaged in the future.
The pandemic has affected everyone’s lives, but it has disproportionately impacted the career prospects of many young professionals, the CNSA noted, expressing hope that the State Government will act quickly to rectify the situation and give individuals a fair chance at all.
